Whether you are cooking a massive Thanksgiving dinner for 20 (not this year!) or four (yes please), it’s essential to have a few elements that you know will come together easily. And yes, you could just pop open a bottle of wine and leave it at that, but if you want to serve something a little more special – but simple – why not try this little autumn sangria recipe??
I’ll be honest – I rarely make sangria, but the colors were just so irresistible for our Thanksgiving table setting I thought it was a perfect fit! Pulling in the beautiful color of persimmons from the table, along with pomegranate and blood orange, this concoction has a unique flavor and looks good on the table, too.
Autumn Sangria with Persimmon & Pomegranate // 6-8 servings
- A bottle of red wine – you’ll want something on the ‘sweeter’ side
- 1 cup pomegranate juice (sweetened)
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- 2 oranges, thinly sliced (save one orange for garnish)
- 1-2 persimmons, tops removed and sliced in small chunks
- ¼ cup brandy
- granulated sugar or simple syrup
Place the persimmon and one of the sliced oranges in the pitcher and muddle to release juices. If you are using sugar, add the sugar here (about a ¼ cup) and muddle as well to macerate. If you have simply syrup on hand, you can add that (about 2-3 tbsp to start) with the wine and brandy.
Add the remaining ingredients, and thoroughly stir. Ideally, you’ll let this sit for 4-5 hours, but you can definitely drink it sooner. I like to keep some of the orange slices and pomegranate seeds as separate garnishes, and I find that persimmon tops can be a fun garnish too! Some people like to top their sangria with just a hit of prosecco to add fizz – feel free to try! This is one of those drinks that can be good with so many items around the house (apples, cranberries, etc!) that it’s more fun to experiment than to try and take it too literally.
Cheers to you and yours, this Thanksgiving, however you may be celebrating.
