Spooky Halloween Sangria is the perfect big batch drink to satisfy a crowd of ghouls and goblins. With a few simple twists you can transform a classic recipe into a drink ready for a scary good time. Thanks to edible eyeballs, it’s a spooktacular addition to your next Halloween party.
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About this spooky Halloween Sangria recipe
There can be something scary about hosting a big Halloween bash, and it’s not the costumes! Mixing drinks for a crowd can feel overwhelming, and what host wants to be stuck behind the bar instead of doing the monster mash?
This Halloween Sangria is the perfect answer for a spooky soiree. This big batch recipe serves a crowd, and since it’s based on the traditional red wine sangria it’s pretty much guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.
With “eyeballs” made from lychees and cocktail cherries, plus “dead” lemons to get it in costume, you can customize the recipe to fit your preferences. It’ll be the scream — I mean, talk — of the party! But the flavor is so good, I bet you’ll want to make it any time of year.
More sangria recipes: White Wine Sangria • Apple Cider Sangria • Margarita Sangria
Why you’ll love this recipe
- A big batch makes entertaining easy. Skip the hassle of mixing individual drinks all night by prepping a big batch that lets guests serve themselves.
- It’s easy to customize. Use your favorite wine and adjust the sweetness to fit your palate.
- Dress it up, or down. Make it as spooky as you want to with garnishes and special touches!
- It works beyond Halloween. This cherry orange sangria is so delicious and perfect for Friendsgiving, fall weather or even summertime.
Tools & glassware
Like most sangrias, this easy Halloween Sangria recipe comes together easily in a pitcher. You’ll also want some measuring cups and basic bar tools to measure out the ingredients.
You can use your favorite wine glasses, or use glasses that fit with your theme. Pumpkin glasses * would be fun and festive for your next Halloween party, too!
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Ingredients
👇 For full measurements and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card. It’s all there waiting for you!
For Halloween Sangria, you can use any red wine you like, but I recommend a fruity, robust red wine. In this batch I used a Cabernet Sauvignon (the best red wine for sangria, in my opinion!). Try a Pinot Noir, Merlot or red blend. A full-bodied Spanish wine like Rioja, Tempranillo and Garnacha/Grenache with fruity notes would be very authentic, too.
I mixed it with tart cherry juice, triple sec and honey (or agave or simple syrup) for a bright base that has bold, sweet cherry and tart orange notes. You can also add ginger ale, Sprite or club soda for bubbles. Pomegranate juice works well if you can’t find tart cherry. Instead of triple sec, you can use vodka or brandy, but I love the zesty flavor you get from orange liqueur.
Sangria needs plenty of fruit and whole spices to impart their flavors, but I took them up a notch for Halloween this time with spooky blood oranges and spider-like star anise pods. Rather than fresh lemon rounds, these dehydrated lemons add a creepy splash of color. They are warped and discolored in a way that makes them perfect for spooky season!
Finally, let’s talk about the eyeballs! I used these canned whole lychees in syrup to create the eyeballs for my spooky sangria. Pairing them with cocktail cherries or fresh blueberries in the middle made them extra bone-chilling. If you drop them into the drink, they have a tendency to sink to the bottom. Instead, use a cocktail pick or a toothpick to hold them on top of your drink.
Variations & substitutions
Dry ice magic: If you like, add dry ice to make your sangria bubble and smoke with a fog effect — like a magic trick. (Be sure to read up on doing this safely, though!)
White Halloween sangria: If you like, you can make white wine sangria and use all the same fruit! Use lemon juice or apple juice instead of cherry juice.
Other fresh fruit and spices: This is one of the most customizable Halloween cocktails! It even works for the fall season (without the spooky lychee eyeballs) or any season. Try adding some or all of these:
- blackberries
- pomegranate seeds
- cinnamon sticks
- black grapes
- strawberries
- cloves
- pears
Instructions
Ready for a spooky celebration? Grab your pitcher and combine your red wine, tart cherry juice, triple sec and honey.
Then, add the blood orange slices, dehydrated lemon and star anise.
Next, you’ll want to work on your eyeballs. Drain the lychees and insert one cocktail cherry * into each whole lychee for your eyes. Add half of the lychee eyeballs to sangria pitcher. Pop the pitcher into the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
Prep the rest of your eyeballs for serving. Pierce the lychees with toothpicks or cocktail picks to use as garnishes and set them near the glasses for guests.
How to serve sangria
You can serve this in two different ways. If you prefer to manage the serving, pour the sangria into wine glasses with ice — don’t forget to stir in some of the infused fruit to each glass. Garnish with the lychee eyeball skewers.
If you’d rather let your guests serve themselves, leave it in the pitcher and chill until you’re ready to serve. Leave out cups, garnishes and ice for a scary good time!
Tips & tricks
- Use a cocktail skewer to prevent your ‘eyeball’ garnishes from sinking to the bottom of the punch bowl *.
- Chill your sangria ahead of time until you’re ready to serve it. This lets the flavors really meld together.
- Taste test your drink before you add the honey — you may find that it’s sweet enough already!
Food pairings
Any haunted gathering needs snacks! Try some mini pumpkin-shaped cheeseballs on your charcuterie tray with a few puff pastry cheese twists for “fingers”.
Add in some sweets like no-bake mini chocolate ganache spiderweb treats or Halloween Oreo bark and you’ll have something for everyone at your Halloween party!
FAQ
If it makes it past the party, you can enjoy sangria for 4-5 days in you keep it refrigerated. After that, you start to lose the flavor!
This Halloween Sangria uses red wine — I chose a cabernet sauvignon but you can use your favorite robust, fruity red wine instead. Pinot Noir or a fruity red blend are great choices, too.
More Halloween drink recipes
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Halloween Sangria
ingredients
- 750 ml red wine
- ¾ cup tart cherry juice
- ½ cup triple sec
- 1-2 tablespoons honey to taste
- 2 large blood oranges sliced
- 12 slices dehydrated lemon
- 8 pieces star anise
- 10 ounces canned whole lychees in syrup drained
- ½ cup cocktail cherries
- 24 ounces ginger ale ginger beer or club soda (optional)
instructions
- In a pitcher, combine red wine, tart cherry juice, triple sec and honey.750 ml red wine, ¾ cup tart cherry juice, ½ cup triple sec, 1-2 tablespoons honey
- Add blood orange slices, dehydrated lemon and star anise.2 large blood oranges, 12 slices dehydrated lemon, 8 pieces star anise
- Drain lychees. Insert one cocktail cherry * into each whole lychee to make "eyeballs." Add half of the lychee eyeballs to sangria pitcher. Pierce remaining lychee eyeballs with toothpicks or cocktail picks to use as garnishes.10 ounces canned whole lychees in syrup, ½ cup cocktail cherries
- Add ice and serve immediately, or chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve, which allows the flavors to meld together.
- Pour in wine glasses with ice. Add some of the infused fruit to each glass. Top up with ginger ale, if desired. Garnish with remaining lychee eyeballs.24 ounces ginger ale
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