apple cider sangria recipe.

we are now smack dab in the middle of the holiday season, and you know what that means. lots of parties, lots of hosting, lots of friends and family, and lots of need for fun drink recipes. this apple cider sangria recipe is a great addition to any party, because you can make a lot at once, and it's incredibly easy to throw together ahead of time. in fact, i suggest you make it ahead of time.[in related news, i did my first periscope the other day! it was simultaneously amazing/fun/terrifying/weird/wonderful. thank you to everyone who was able to join in or watch the replay. this is the recipe that i showed how to make, and there were some requests to put it on the blog for easy access. i aim to please, so here it is!]apple cider sangria is a great variation on traditional sangria. it's a fun twist on the classic drink, with just enough seasonal flavor to make it fun, but not enough to make it a pain to make. sangria should be made at least an hour ahead of time, the more time the flavors have to mix and marinate, the better. i'm including a full list of ingredients for you, but i do note the optional ingredients, as sangria should really be made according to your personal tastes. don't like sugar? don't add any. like a lot of fruity flavor? add more cider. half the fun is tweaking the recipe to suit your audience. (which hopefully is a large group of friends and family, but if it's just you, that's cool too. i won't tell.)apple cider sangria (makes one pitcher, can be easily adjusted to make more)

• half an apple, chopped
• half an orange, sliced
• 1/2 C. pomegranate seeds
• 2 cinnamon sticks (you can also use 1/2 tsp. cinnamon spice if you don't have any cinnamon sticks.)
• 1 bottle of cheap red wine
• 2-3 C. apple cider
• 1/4 C. brandy (optional. you can also use apple liqueur, apple brandy, bourbon, whiskey or nothing. this just adds more layers to the flavor in the sangria.)
• 1/4 C. sugar (optional. you can also use a sweet pomegranate juice or something similar to add more sweetness.)

add the fruit and cinnamon sticks to a large pitcher. pour the wine, cider and brandy into the pitcher. if you're adding sugar, stir in at the end. taste the mix (but not too much!) and adjust flavors accordingly. let sit in the fridge until serving.  you can make this in advance, as early as the night before, but the morning before serving is ideal. salud!

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