It took several tries to come up with a Non Alcoholic Sangria recipe that I was excited to share with you. The problem with most virgin sangria recipes is that they just taste like sweet fruit juice and lack anything that resembles the boozy component of a classic sangria.
I was after a Non-Alcoholic Sangria that was just as delicious and satisfying as the original Spanish alcoholic punch. And you know what, I discovered the secret. It came down to one unexpected ingredient that mimics the flavor of alcohol – can you guess what it is?
Orange Bitters.
Have you ever tasted them straight? They taste decidedly similar to Triple Sec, a common component in Sangria.
Table Of Contents
Ingredients You Need to Make Non Alcoholic Sangria
- Hibiscus Tea: I used Tazo brand ‘Passion’
- Honey: or maple syrup or agave nectar
- Lemon: for lemon juice and zest
- Orange Juice: fresh orange juice is best!
- Alcohol Free Orange Bitters: I used Fee Brothers brand
- Orange: fresh orange wedges
- Apple: your favorite apple variety
- Grapes: red or green or a mix
What is Sangria?
With roots in Spain and Portugal (traced back to the 18th century), sangria is a refreshing punch made traditionally with red wine, chopped fresh fruit, and often sparkling water and brandy or a flavored liqueur. There are endless variations both with the classic and this non-alcoholic version.
Recipe Options
- Add some sparkle with flavored or plain sparkling water, club soda or sparkling apple cider.
- Bump up your citrus with fresh lime juice and/or fresh grapefruit juice.
- Instead of or in addition to honey, add sweetness with white grape juice or apple cider.
- Splash in some pomegranate juice or cranberry juice (sweetened or unsweetened).
- Experiment with different kinds of fresh fruit: mangoes, pears, or even fresh cranberries are good options.
How to Make Non-Alcoholic Sangria
For the fruit base, I loaded a pitcher with grapes and slices of apples and oranges. For the liquid portion, I started with a base of hibiscus tea, fresh orange juice and a honey lemon simple syrup then added a generous amount of orange bitters – the perfect way to achieve an alcohol-free sangria to get excited about!
How to Serve
If you’re serving this sangria mocktail at a casual get-together, people may not mind sipping around large slices of fruit and fishing them out with their fingers. But for more formal holiday parties, consider straining the sangria into ice filled glasses and garnishing each with a cocktail pick strung with bite size pieces of fruit. You can always munch on the sangria soaked fruit after everyone has gone home. 😉
Non Alcoholic Sangria
Finally! A non-alcoholic Sangria to get excited about – all because of an unexpected ingredient that mimics the missing alcohol!
Ingredients
- 6 tea bags hibiscus tea
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 1 1/2 cups ice cubes
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 lemon, juice and zest
- 1 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons alcohol free orange bitters
- 1 orange, sliced into thin rounds
- 1 apple, halved, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 cup grapes, red or green or a mix
Instructions
Place tea bags in a 4 cup measuring pitcher (or larger). Pour boiling water over and let steep 5 minutes. Remove tea bags, pressing bags against pitcher side with the back of a spoon for maximum flavor. Add ice cubes and stir.
Meanwhile, add honey and water to a small saucepan over low heat. Heat just until honey liquifies and can easily be stirred into the water. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and zest. Set aside to cool.
Transfer tea and any remaining ice cubes to a large pitcher (64-ounces or larger). Stir in honey simple syrup, fresh orange juice and bitters. Stir to combine.
Add orange and apple slices and grapes; gently stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least an hour and up to overnight. Serve.
Notes
- If you use loose tea in place of tea bags, use 1/2 ounce for this recipe.
- Soak the sangria for at least an hour or as long as overnight before serving. Stir just before serving.
- I prefer sangria that’s lightly sweet. If you like yours sweeter, double the honey simple syrup. For a vegan version, swap in maple syrup or agave nectar for honey in the syrup. Or sweeten with apple cider, apple juice or white grape juice.
- If you like sparkly sangria, add club soda or even flavored sparkling water: orange, lime, lemon or berry would be delicious!
- Feel free to add more or less fresh fruit or even different fruits to suit your taste. And don’t hesitate to experiment with different fruit juices, unsweetened pomegranate juice or cranberry juice would be great.
