Description
This Fall Sangria Recipe combines the warm spices of chai tea and cinnamon with the sweet and robust flavors of honey bourbon and Moscato wine. It’s a cozy and refreshing beverage perfect for autumn gatherings, garnished with star fruit, pear slices, and cinnamon sticks for an elegant touch.
Ingredients
Scale
Tea and Spice Base
- Zest from 1 large orange
- Zest from 2 lemons
- 1¾ cups water
- ¼ cup granulated or brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ginger paste or 1 4-inch knob ginger, thinly sliced
- 6 Chai decaffeinated tea bags (single-serve size)
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 4 cardamom pods
- 3-4 sticks cinnamon
Juices and Alcohol
- Juice from 1 large orange
- Juice from 5-6 medium lemons (about 1 cup of juice)
- 2 cups Honey Bourbon (Jim Beam recommended)
- 1 750ml bottle Moscato (Mirassou recommended)
- 1 teaspoon orange or regular bitters (optional)
Garnish
- Slices of pears
- Slices of star fruit
- Cinnamon sticks
Instructions
- Prepare Zest and Juice: Zest the orange and two lemons and place the zest in a small saucepan. Juice the orange and all the lemons into a medium-sized bowl and set aside for later use.
- Make Tea and Spice Mixture: Add water, sugar, ginger, chai tea bags, cloves, cardamom pods, and cinnamon sticks to the saucepan with the zest. Place over medium heat, mix well, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat.
- Cool and Strain Mixture: Let the tea and spice mixture cool to room temperature. Place a fine-mesh sieve over a large pitcher and strain the mixture to remove solids.
- Combine Ingredients: Add the reserved orange and lemon juices, honey bourbon, Moscato, and bitters (if using) to the pitcher. Stir everything well. Add slices of pears, star fruit, and cinnamon sticks as garnish.
- Chill and Serve: Refrigerate the sangria for 4 to 24 hours to allow flavors to meld. When ready to serve, fill glasses with ice, stir the sangria well, and pour into glasses. Garnish each glass with additional star fruit and pear slices if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- For a non-alcoholic version, substitute the honey bourbon and Moscato with sparkling grape juice and extra brewed chai tea.
- If fresh star fruit is not available, substitute with additional pear or apple slices for garnish.
- Adjust the sweetness by varying the amount of sugar or using brown sugar for a richer flavor.
- The sangria can be made up to 24 hours in advance for best flavor infusion.
- Ginger paste or fresh sliced ginger works; the paste will dissolve more easily.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 10 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
