Moscato sangria is a fruity, refreshing cocktail that combines Moscato wine, brandy, and a little fizz with lots of juicy fruits. It’s the perfect sweet, tangy, and slightly tart cocktail for your spring or summer brunch, bridal shower, or sipping on the back porch.
I have several sangria recipes including a delightful Blackberry sangria, a Strawberry Sangria, and even a Delicious Green Apple Sangria. Moscato sangria, however, hits a slightly different fresh and fruity flavor profile. This fruity wine cocktail is light, extremely simple, and boozy - the perfect warm weather drink.
The Moscato wine provides a crisp and low acid foundation, while the fresh fruits add even more sweetness and variety. The brandy adds a subtle warmth and depth of flavor. Every sip is enjoyable and offers something slightly different than the last.
Why You Should Make this Recipe Now!
- It’s super easy to setup in advance for large batches – you can reuse the fruit too.
- Experiment with fruit you have on hand.
- Just 3 ingredients, plus fruit!
- No extra sugar or simple syrup required.
- It’s so darn pretty!
Overall, moscato sangria is a delicious and refreshing drink that is perfect for warm weather or any occasion where you want to serve a light and fruity cocktail.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Moscato Wine: I use a Moscato d’Asti for this recipe, but any sweet Moscato wine will be great. Most of the fizz will subside during refrigeration. Red and Pink Moscato taste the same as white Moscato, but with added coloring either from a few red grapes or other agents.
Brandy: Brandy is a distilled spirit made from wine and often paired with fruity notes. A brand that I use is Christian Brothers because it’s smooth with notes of honey and vanilla, but you can use any fruit brandy you like. Also, Triple Sec or Gran Marnier are good substitutes.
Seltzer or Ginger ale: I like ginger ale as it adds a little bit more sweetness along with the bubbling effect. However, if you want less sweet, use seltzer water.
Fruit Ideas for Sangria: This recipe is incredibly versatile! Experiment with what you have on hand. While I do recommend a mix of citrus and juicy stone fruits to balance flavor, but it’s really up to your tastes.
- Citrus such as sweet oranges, lemons, and limes
- Fresh or frozen berries such as strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and even blueberries
- Stone fruits like peaches, cherries, mangoes, or apricots
- Pome fruits like apples or pears
- Avoid mushy fruits like bananas.
How to make this summer sangria:
With this sangria, we don’t need an additional simple syrup or added sugar because the wine is quite sweet to begin with. The amounts and full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom, but I like to use this section as a visual overview for how easy this recipe is!
- Juice 2 oranges and 1 lime and add to pitcher. (left photo)
- Add the wine and brandy. Stir and refrigerate for 2 hours. (right photo)
- Prep all the fruit and add to pitcher.
- Just before serving, top it off with ginger ale or soda water for a little more fizz.
Tip: This recipe makes about 6 cups plus the fruit. If you have a large punch bowl or fancy drink dispenser, double (or even triple) the recipe. Most of the fruit can be reused in another batch, if desired.
Best Moscato for Sangria
For the most part, I usually recommend a wine you like, but don’t waste an expensive bottle. Here are some more tips for making the best fruit sangria:
- One of the best things about this Moscato Sangria is that you can adapt it to use leftover fruits in the fridge. Don't have fresh fruits? Frozen fruit works ok, but need to be thawed slightly and they can get mushy.
- You can substitute the brandy with orange liqueur or fruit-flavored vodka.
- Want to add a festive touch? Use a small cookie or vegetable cutter to make shapes.
What to Serve with Sangria?
I like to chill the mix until ready to serve and then put the ginger ale, ice and garnishes in. Looking for more ideas of what to serve with this cocktail? We've got you covered:
- Brunch. The world’s best Carrot Cake, Spinach Mushroom Quiche or Bacon Quiche, Cranberry Chicken Salad would pair well.
- Appetizers. A Charcuterie Board, Tri-color Pasta Salad, or Creamy Cajun Imitation Crab Dip are our most popular ideas.
- Desserts. Lemon Bars, Funfetti Cake Batter Dip, Punch Bowl Cake, and Coconut Pecan Cookies are some of our favorite dessert pairings.
Storage and Make Ahead Suggestions
Store: The cocktail mixture will last for up to a week in the refrigerator, as long as you strain out the fruit. They tend to get mushy over time.
Make Ahead: Add the juice, wine, and brandy to a pitcher. Refrigerate overnight. Just before serving top with ginger ale and fruits. The orange slices can take up the color of the juice so don't add them ahead of time.
This is the best white sangria recipe! As the temperature warms up, I guarantee you will love every sip of this simple mixed drink. In the meantime, I’ll be on the back deck enjoying the sunshine.
Check out our other Delicious Cocktails:
- Frozen Watermelon Margaritas
- Blackberry Sangria
- Strawberry Sangria
- White Chocolate Martini
- Royal Apple Cocktail
FAQs
Moscato is a sweet white wine produced from the muscat grape, which is one of the oldest grapes grown all over the world. With low-acidity and fruity notes like orange blossom and pear, it is often served as a dessert wine, and it has a low alcohol content, around 5 to 7 percent. It comes in pink, red, and white varieties with similar flavors and sweetness.
Moscato d’Asti simple means that the wine is slightly sparkling. Not as much as sparkling wine, but it will bubble a bit as you pour.
Pinot Grigio. It is also sweet, light, and refreshing to taste. Reisling can be an alternative, but it comes in a wide range of profiles from sweet dessert wines to somewhat dry.
Yes and no. While the fruits in the sangria do infuse better when given time, some fruits can turn mushy or muddy the colors of other fruits. I often put mine together a few hours in advance, except for citrus fruit slices.
Not Sure
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Moscato Sangria
Ingredients
- 750 ml Moscato Wine White, pink, red, or bubbly is fine.
- ½ cup Brandy I use Christian Brothers
- 2 sliced Limes cut into slices
- 4 Oranges
- 6 oz Strawberries Sliced
- Ice
- 1 Apple
- 1 Peach
- 24 oz Seltzer or Ginger Ale
Instructions
- Juice 2 oranges and 1 lime into a bowl or pitcher along with the rinds. Add the wine and brandy. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight so that everything is cold.
- Prep all the remaining fruit. Set some aside for garnishes for glasses.
- Remove rinds from the pitcher and throw away. Add ice and garnish glasses, if desired. Just before serving, add seltzer/ginger ale and ice.
Recipe Notes
- One of the best things about this Moscato Sangria is that you can adapt it to use leftover fruits in the fridge. Don't have fresh fruits? Frozen fruits also work well, but need to be thawed slightly and they can get mushy.
- You can substitute the brandy with orange liqueur or fruit-flavored vodka.
- Want to add a festive touch? Use a small cookie or vegetable cutter to make shapes.
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