Zero Proof: Non-Alcoholic Winter Sangria

This non-alcoholic sangria is pretty, flavorful and festive.
Meredith Terpstra

Traditionally, sangrias are smooth, fruity and most popular in the warm summer months, but with just a few twists they can become a delicious, non-alcoholic winter beverage. If you like the idea of mulled wine but find the warmth of the drink off-putting, this virgin sangria might be your new favorite holiday drink!

Makes 8 (8-ounce) servings

Ingredients

  • 2 blood oranges
  • 2 grapefruits
  • 1-2 Granny Smith apples
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries, plus more for serving
  • 16 ounces pomegranate juice
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 2 chai tea bags
  • grapefruit-flavored sparkling water, for serving
  • star anise, for serving
  • cinnamon sticks, for serving
  • pomegranate seeds, for serving

Utensils

  • cutting board and knife
  • large baking sheet
  • medium-sized saucepan
  • wooden spoon
  • large pitcher
  • lowball glasses

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F and slice the oranges, grapefruits and apples.
  2. Keep apples separate. Place sliced oranges, sliced grapefruits and fresh cranberries on the baking sheet and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until cranberries caramelize.
  3. While fruit is baking, add pomegranate juice and orange juice to the saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
  4. Once boiling, pour the mixture over the chai tea bags in the large pitcher and let steep for 5minutes. Then remove the tea bags.
  5. Add in caramelized fruit and apples, stirring well. When cool enough to handle, move the pitcher of sangria mix to the fridge and let sit for at least 2 hours.
  6. Fill glasses half full with sangria mix, ensuring that some of the fruit ends up in the glass.
  7. Add grapefruit-flavored sparkling water to each glass until it is full. Garnish with star anise, cinnamon sticks, pomegranate seeds and fresh cranberries.

Tips and Substitutions

  • If you can’t find blood oranges, normal oranges work just as well.
  • When you take the fruit out of the oven, don’t wait too long before removing the fruit from the baking sheet or it will stick to the sheet.
  • As the mixture is in the fridge cooling, stir occasionally to make sure nothing sticks and all the fruit has a chance to steep in the liquid

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