Grapefruit Sangria
Grapefruit Sangria is a pink sangria made with rose wine, grapefruit simple syrup, vodka, and club soda! This is a fun drink for a girls night, a summer evening on the patio, or for a dinner party!
Grapefruit Sangria is the perfect year round cocktail for when you want something refreshing, sparkling, and with a little kick to it! It's one of my favorite summer cocktails and is a great patio sipper on a warm summer evening, but it's also a fun late winter drink with in-season grapefruit.
Not only is this large-batch sangria recipe delicious, but it is also super easy to make. The only prep that is really required is making the grapefruit simple syrup and cutting up the fruit. Then simply combine, let the fruit soak up all of the yumminess for a couple of hours, and then top off with the club soda for a sparkling grapefruit sangria. Yum!
Ingredients in Grapefruit Sangria
- Sugar - white granulated sugar is used to make a grapefruit simple syrup.
- Grapefruit Juice - fresh pink grapefruit juice is so full of flavor in this grapefruit sangria recipe.
- Water - not technically an ingredient but it is used when making the simple syrup.
- Grapefruit Zest - citrus zest adds so much flavor when cooking!
- Rosé Wine - I love using a rose for this sangria but really any white wine can be used. A pinot Grigio or Sauvignon blanc would also be lovely.
- Vodka - a little bit of vodka puts a little kick in this sangria! 😉 Bonus - if you can find grapefruit vodka, that would be delicious!
- Club Soda - club soda makes the sangria sparkling and carbonated, which I just love. If you want the sangria a little sweeter, you can use Sprite or Fresca.
- Strawberries - fresh strawberries are soaked in the sangria for a little treat in every glass! Other fresh fruit would work, too, such as apples, Meyer lemons, or blood oranges.
- Grapefruit Slices - grapefruit slices are also marinated in the sangria for even more grapefruit flavor.
What is Sangria?
Sangria originates from Spain and was typically made with red wine, fruit, and brandy. I love a good red wine sangria (like this one!) but I also really like a white wine or rosé sangria, especially in the winter months. Sangria recipes have evolved over the years, like many recipes do, and now you will find numerous sangria recipes made with different types of wine and liquor.
Sangria is a big batch cocktail that is perfect for a gathering.
How to Make Grapefruit Sangria
Sangria is pretty easy to make, but you do want to start a little bit in advance so you can give the fruit time to marinate in the wine. To start with this grapefruit sangria, make a grapefruit simple syrup. Combine fresh grapefruit juice, sugar, grapefruit zest, and a little bit of water to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, cooking until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let it cool. This is an easy step to make in advance, too!
Next, combine the grapefruit simple syrup, wine, vodka, and fruit in a large pitcher and let it chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Of note - the sweetness of the sangria will depend on the wine you choose. If you like a sweeter sangria, choose a sweeter rosé or even a white zinfandel if you like things pretty sweet. Once you're ready to serve, add the club soda. Be sure to add the club soda immediately before serving, as you want the drink to stay bubbly. Enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 day. It will still be good the next day, but the fruit can get a little soggy.
Grapefruit Sangria Tips and Variations
Switch out the club soda. If you prefer a sweeter sangria, you can use Sprite (or any kind of lemon-lime soda), grapefruit soda, Fresca, or tonic water.
Switch up the fruit. If you don't have strawberries, you can definitely use what you have or like! Other great options would be regular lemons, Meyer lemons, crisp apples, raspberries, and blood oranges.
Prep ahead. This can definitely be prepared ahead of time. In fact, it needs a couple of hours for the fruit to soak up the sangria! Just be sure to wait until you are serving it to add the club soda. You can also make the grapefruit simple syrup a couple of days in advance.
This would be delicious for happy hour with Mexican Street Corn Dip, or Smoked Brats for dinner!
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Grapefruit Sangria
Ingredients
Grapefruit Simple Syrup
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup grapefruit juice
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon grapefruit zest
Sangria
- 1 bottle rosé wine
- ½ cup vodka
- 2 cups club soda
- 16 ounces strawberries sliced
- 1 grapefruit cut into slices
Instructions
Simple Syrup
- In a small saucepan, add the sugar, grapefruit juice, water, and zest.
- Bring to a simmer and cook until the sugar has dissolved, about 4-5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and cool.
- Optional: strain the zest from the simple syrup for a smooth simple syrup without any chunks.
- Note: this can be made 1-5 days in advance.
- In a large pitcher, combine simple syrup, wine, and vodka. Add strawberries and grapefruit slices. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours.
- Add the club soda, serve, and enjoy!
