Leaves are reddening, chilly winds are (allegedly) blowing, and pumpkin spice lattes are returning. But this fall, another drink has been making rounds on social media: the fall sangria.
I got my recipe from this Instagram post by Dayna Ferraro, which calls for:● 1 bottle of white wine – I used a Sauvignon blanc with notes of green apple● 1 1/2 cups of apple cider● 2 oz of maple syrup● 1.5 oz of bourbon● Apples, oranges and cinnamon sticks
Mix it all up in a pitcher and refrigerate for 2-3 hours for the best results. I did not do this, but I plan to next time.
The result is a delightful little autumnal orange drink. As I took the first sip, looking out across the seasonless, permanent heat wave of my Florida backyard, I found myself brought back to memories of the proper autumn of my northeastern roots.
The aromatic cinnamon, apple cider, slight hints of maple and bourbon, and gentle citrus-sweet kick of the orange create a crisp, well-defined sangria that carries those September to November vibes without overexerting them.
If you started your day with a pumpkin spice latte (or Starbucks’ new iced pumpkin cream chai tea latte, which I can never say quite right when ordering), this is the perfect drink to wind down with as afternoon turns to evening.
But if you don’t want to do all that work every day, it’s also a perfect sangria for a Halloween party, or Thanksgiving dinner. I’ll certainly be making it for both.
