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Spiked Black Cherry Halloween Sangria: Easy Crowd-Pleaser

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A dark, fruity, and spooky Halloween sangria made with black cherry juice, bourbon, and warm fall spices. This easy, make-ahead crowd-pleaser comes together in under 15 minutes and is perfect for fall gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups black cherry juice (preferably 100% juice, like Knudsen’s Just Black Cherry)
  • 1 cup bourbon or brandy (e.g., Buffalo Trace or Evan Williams)
  • 1/2 cup orange liqueur (triple sec or Cointreau; substitute with fresh orange juice + 1 tbsp sugar if needed)
  • 1/4 cup simple syrup (optional; adjust to taste; can use maple syrup or agave)
  • 2 cups sparkling water or ginger ale (add just before serving; ginger ale recommended for extra spice)
  • 2 cups frozen black cherries (fresh can be used, but frozen are preferred)
  • 2 oranges, sliced into thin rounds (blood oranges for dramatic color when in season)
  • 1 apple, thinly sliced (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith)
  • 2–3 whole star anise
  • 4–5 whole cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick (broken in half)
  • Fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the fruit: Wash oranges and apple. Slice oranges into thin rounds (about 1/4 inch thick). Cut apple in half, remove core, and slice into thin half-moons. Leave frozen cherries frozen.
  2. Combine the liquid base: In a large pitcher, pour black cherry juice, bourbon, and orange liqueur. Stir gently to combine. Taste and adjust sweetness with simple syrup if needed.
  3. Add fruit and spices: Gently add orange slices, apple slices, frozen cherries, star anise, cloves, and cinnamon stick. Stir gently without crushing the fruit.
  4. Let it rest: Cover pitcher and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, to allow flavors to meld.
  5. Add fizz and serve: Just before serving, remove cinnamon stick and star anise if desired. Pour in sparkling water or ginger ale and stir gently. Serve over ice in glasses, including some fruit in each glass. Garnish with rosemary sprig if desired.
  6. Pro tip for serving: Set up a self-serve station with the pitcher, a ladle, ice, and glasses for parties.

Notes

For best results, let sangria rest overnight. Use whole spices, not ground, to avoid murky texture. Freeze some sangria in ice cube trays to prevent dilution. For non-alcoholic version, omit bourbon and orange liqueur, add extra cherry juice and orange juice. For warm version, combine all ingredients except sparkling water in a slow cooker on low for 2-3 hours, then add fizz before serving.

Nutrition

Keywords: Halloween sangria, black cherry sangria, spiked sangria, fall cocktail, party drink, bourbon sangria, easy sangria recipe, make-ahead sangria

Find it online: https://cookluma.com/spiked-black-cherry-halloween-sangria-easy-crowd-pleaser/