There’s nothing that can bring about good spirits and a feeling of festivity quite like a cocktail. And if you’re looking to kick the festiveness of fall into high gear than this big batch recipe for Autumn Apple Spiced Sangria.

This red wine based blend is made with the best of the season’s flavors. It’s got crisp apples, oranges and pears at the bottom to soak up all the sweet liquid. To the wine, there’s a healthy dose of vodka. Next, the secret weapon to this sangria is the spiced simple syrup, made with real cinnamon and cloves. It adds a sweet, spicy and bold depth of flavor to the drink, almost like there’s actual mulled wine in it. Topping everything off, crisp, tart sparkling apple cider, adding the perfect bubbly finish.

This autumn drink is perfect for sipping with friends and family all day long. It also keeps well in the fridge for a few days, so you can savor it all to yourself and add some indulgence to the week. Keep scrolling for the easy recipe!

The secret is in the spice…

The first step to this recipe is to make the spiced simple syrup, which couldn’t be easier. Simple syrup is made with equal parts water and sugar. For this recipe, I use a half a cup of each. But you can definitely make more than that and store it in a jar for future drink concoctions!

Add the water and sugar to a saucepan along with a handful of cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. Bring the mixture to a boil. Let it boil for 1-2 minutes, then remove the saucepan from the heat and let the mixture cool completely (for at least an hour, so those flavors really soak in). Then strain the syrup to discard the cinnamon and cloves.

Fall sangria at its finest…

This sangria starts with fresh fruit, of course. Chop up an apple, a peeled orange and a pear and add them to the bottom of a pitcher. Feel free to get creative with your fruit and toss in any seasonal flavors you’re craving, such as cranberries or pomegranate seeds, too!

Next, reach for a good red wine. You don’t need anything fancy or expensive… but you want to use a red with bright, juicy flavors. I love a good Pinot Noir for this sangria, as well as a mellow Cabernet Sauvignon, or a Spanish Rioja.

Add the whole bottle of wine to the pitcher along with a cup of your favorite vodka. I always go for Tito’s! Then add your simple syrup mix (1/2 a cup). Finally, finish with a bottle of sparkling apple cider. You can use regular apple cider if that’s what you have, but I recommend getting sparkling, because it adds just the right amount of bubbles. Trader Joe’s Sparkling Apple Cider is what I used and it was perfect.

Give everything a good stir, let your sangria chill and the break out the glass!

Let me know if you give thIs Autumn Apple Spiced Sangria a try! I love to hear from you in the comments, or tag me on instagram @eat.think.live and let me see your creation! Plus, you can check out the rest of my recipes HERE.