I had an idea for a red, white and blue sangria as a signature drink for the 4th of July. I LOVE sangria, including the rosé sangria I make during the summer, and thought I would adapt it to make it an all-American signature drink for the 4th of July. I found a great looking 4th of July sangria on Pinterest that had slices of star fruit floating in the pitcher, but the recipe sounded kind of vile (berry flavored vodka in sangria = no bueno). But I loved the star fruit idea and it was just what I needed for the white in my red, white and blue 4th of July sangria.
I’ve always liked star fruit, which is very mild in flavor – almost like a cross between an apple and watermelon – and naturally star-shaped when cut into slices. I was going to call the sangria “star spangled sangria” or “star studded sangria” (I can get away with a kitchy name for the 4th of July, right?!?), and I was looking forward to making it all week. But when my Freshdirect (grocery) order came I opened the box and saw that they delivered 2 passion fruits instead of 2 star fruits, so I was without stars for the star spangled sangria. I hit 3 stores on the UWS, including Fairway on a Saturday afternoon with a toddler (now you KNOW I was desperate!), and still no luck in the star fruit department. I enlisted the help of friends, who already know how crazy I get about these things, and are never surprised by my requests to search for random ingredients or party supplies. The search team came up empty handed too. Apparently there’s a shortage of star fruit in NYC, or maybe they aren’t in season (they’re usually imported from Asia). I would have been disappointed, but for the fact that I had a nice big batch of rosé sangria already made. I added the blueberries and watermelon sans star fruit, and that’s how the red and blue sangria came to be. If you’re lucky enough to find a star fruit, slice it up and add it to the mix. It will look adorable and I’m sure it will taste great too.
This sangria is absolutely delicious – flavorful, refreshing and not too sweet. Make twice as much as you think you need because people will love it. Serve it as part of the easy 4th of July party menu, or at any patriotic party.
Serve this patriotic red and blue sangria for the 4th of July or any other holiday. Add sliced star fruit, if available.
Ingredients
- 1 bottle dry rosé wine, preferably Spanish or French
- 1 C. cranberry juice
- ½ C. brandy
- ½ C. triple sec
- ¼ C. simple syrup (recipe below)
- 1 C. blueberries
- 1 C. diced watermelon or sliced strawberries
- 2/3 C. water
- 2/3 C. sugar
- Bring water and sugar to a boil in a small sauce pan. Boil until clear; remove from heat and let cool.
- Combine wine, juice, bandy and triple sec in a large pitcher. Add additional 1/4 cup simple syrup or to taste; stir to combine. Add fruit and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to 24 hours. Serve straight up or over ice.
Photo credit: Beth Robyn Photography
I LOVE this sangria. It’s perfect. Fresh, not overly sweet and delightful.
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Could I follow this recipe with Chardonnay? I do enjoy a dry rose but have so much Chardonnay on hand already. Im also curious if you think I could get away with leaving out the simple syrup. Please let me know what you think. Thanks.
Yes – Chardonnay will work in this recipe! You can omit the simple syrup and give it a taste without. If it need a little sweetness you can add a little agave nectar, honey or super fine sugar instead of simple syrup. All depends on what you like. Let me know how it turns out!
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I made a double batch of this for a recent BYOB happy hour, and it was a HUGE success! People are still talking about it! I made it with the strawberries, which are super potent, and did not use the simple syrup, it really did not need it. I am definitely making it again!!