Summer Fruit and Berry Sangria
on Jun 01, 2020, Updated May 14, 2025
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Sangria is one of the most deliciously fun ways to make the most of summer fruit.
Summer was made for sangria…or is sangria made for summer? This is a fun thing to discuss over a glass of sangria, preferably one with loads of summer fruit and berries and some fizz from a lovely rosé wine.
There are just an infinite number of sangria recipes to be made. My friend Alice makes sangria the way some of us cook, but with booze. She basically pours some wine into a pitcher, adds some fruit, and then opens the liqueur cabinet and pours in a little of this and a little of that. I admire her confidence, and I’ve never been let down by her sangria, not once.
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Once you get the hang of sangria, playing around with different versions is quite freeing. Here’s how I think of it: you can keep adding things until you get to where you want to be, so if it’s not sweet enough, add more sweetener, too boozy, add more sparkling water or soda or fruit juice, too sweet, add some tartness or a little more booze. There are no wrong answers in sangria. Try this classic red sangria recipe as well!
Summer Fruit and Berry Sangria is lovely with appetizers, but also delicious with dinner, and also sippable with dessert. Basically, there is no bad time for sangria. Start your evening with a pitcher of this fruity drink and some pan con tomate and grilled bruschetta, or pour glasses to go with Spanish Lamb Burgers.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Peaches or nectarines, raspberries, and plums – In the summer, these are my favorite go-to fruit options. Use fruit that is on the firmer side, or if you are using softer fruit, add it shortly before serving. Frozen fruits are also a great option, as they chill the drink and hold their shape and texture longer.
- Vodka or lemon vodka
- Pomegranate molasses or honey – Pomegranate molasses will offer a bit of a darker, more fruity sweetness, while honey will be a touch lighter.
- Sparkling rosé wine
- Sparkling water – For a bit more sparkle without adding too much flavor or booze.
- Fresh mint leaves – For a pop of freshness.
How to Make Summer Fruit and Berry Sangria
- Prepare the peaches: Bring water to a boil and have a bowl of ice water ready on the side. Make a small X with a sharp knife on the bottom of two of the peaches. Drop them into the boiling water for 30 seconds, remove them with a spoon, and drop them into the ice water bath. Remove them after about 15 seconds; their skins should be able to slip right off, pit them, and cut them into chunks.
- Puree the fruit: Place 2 peaches into a food processor or blender with the raspberries and puree.
- Make the juicy base: In a very large pitcher, combine the pureed fruit and 3 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses and refrigerate until very cold.
- Mix everything: Slice the other two peaches and the plums. Add the sparkling rosé and sparkling water to the pitcher. Stir in sliced peaches, plums, and mint.
- Serve: Fill large glasses with ice and serve the sangria over ice, making sure some fruit and mint go into each glass.
Kitchen Smarts
Whether you are using sparkling water, sparkling soda, or sparkling wine, add this to the pitcher or glass just before serving so the sangria will keep its fizz. Not all sangrias are fizzy, but many have some bubbles.
Sangria Tips
- Putting the ice into the glasses (not in the pitcher) and pouring the sangria over it means that the sangria in the pitcher will not get diluted.
- Make sure you have a long-handled spoon in the pitcher so that you can scoop out some of the fruit (and whatever other goodies you have thrown in) into the glasses as you serve the sangria.
- Go easy on the sweetener, especially if you have lots of sweet fruits in the sangria. Many sangrias are sweetened with a simple syrup, honey, agave, sugar, or other sweetener. A little is nice, a lot makes a drink that is too syrupy sweet. And if you are one of those people who think that overly sweet drinks contribute to a hangover the next day, I am with you, so let’s keep the sugar to a minimum. Plus, you want to taste the other ingredients, so don’t dull the flavor with sweetness.
- Use honey or agave instead of pomegranate molasses if desired.
- You can top off glasses with additional sparkling wine or water to give them an extra burst of fresh fizziness, especially if the sangria has been sitting for a while. Try to keep it chilled.
What to Serve With Summer Fruit and Berry Sangria
More Summer Cocktail Recipes
- Basil Ginger Lemon Saketini
- Sparkling Mint Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail
- Cucumber Mint Gin and Tonic
- Hibiscus Cocktail
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Summer Fruit and Berry Sangria
Ingredients
- 4 large ripe peaches or nectarines
- 1 cup raspberries
- 6 ripe plums
- ¼ to ½ cup vodka or lemon vodka (depends on how strong you want the sangria to be!)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses or honey (or to taste)
- 1 (750-ml) bottle sparkling rosé wine
- 1 (1-liter) bottle sparkling water
- About 20 clean fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Have a medium bowl of ice water ready on the side. Make a small X with a sharp knife on the bottom of two of the peaches. Drop them into the boiling water and allow to cook for 30 seconds, then remove them with a spoon (preferably slotted), and drop them into the ice water bath. Remove them after about 15 seconds; their skins should be able to be peeled or slipped right off.
- Pit the peeled peaches and cut them into chunks. Place 2 peaches into a food processor or blender with the raspberries and puree.
- In a very large pitcher, combine the pureed fruit and 3 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses. Refrigerate for 2 hours until very cold.
- Slice the other two peaches and the plums (no need to peel). Add the sparkling rose and sparkling water to the pitcher. Taste and add more molasses if needed. Stir in sliced peaches, plums, and mint.
- Fill large glasses with ice and serve the sangria over ice, making sure some fruit and mint go into each glass.
