Drinks Cocktails Wine cocktails Sangria Spice-Infused Sangria 4.0 (4,750) 1 Review Julie Taras and Tasha Garcia make sangria at Manhattan's Little Giant year round as a tasty way to use up opened bottles of wine. In the fall and winter, they flavor dry red wine using a sugar syrup infused with warm spices like cinnamon, cloves and ginger before adding pieces of apple, pear or citrus. This recipe makes more sugar syrup than the sangria calls for; use it to sweeten hot or iced tea as well as sparkling water.Plus: Ultimate Cocktail Guide By Julie Taras Julie Taras Julie Taras is the former chef and co-owner of Little Giant and Tipsy Parson restaurants in New York City. Both eateries were known for their cozy ambiance and focus on seasonal ingredients sourced from local farmers markets and Hudson Valley producers. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines and Tasha Garcia Updated on April 20, 2021 Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 1 hr Yield: 2 quarts Ingredients Sugar Syrup 2 cups water 1 cup sugar 4 star anise pods 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves Two 3-inch cinnamon sticks 1-inch slice of fresh ginger Sangria One 750-ml bottle dry red wine, such as Grenache, Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon 1/2 cup fresh orange juice 1/2 cup light rum 1/4 cup brandy 1/4 cup Cointreau or Triple Sec 1 1/2 cups club soda 2 navel oranges—peeled, halved, seeded and cut into large dice 1 lime—peeled, halved, seeded and cut into large dice 1 Granny Smith apple—halved, cored and cut into large dice 1 Bartlett pear—halved, cored and cut into large dice Ice cubes Directions MAKE THE SANGRIA In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar, star anise, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon sticks and ginger. Bring to a simmer over moderately high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil until reduced by one third and slightly syrupy, about 15 minutes. Let the spice syrup cool, then strain into a glass jar. Pour the red wine into a 3-quart pitcher. Stir in the orange juice, rum, brandy, Cointreau, club soda and 1/4 cup of the spice syrup; add more syrup if you prefer a sweeter sangria. Add the diced oranges, lime, apple and pear and refrigerate overnight. Serve the sangria in tall glasses over ice. Garnish with a tablespoon of the diced fruit. Make Ahead The sangria can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. The spice syrup can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Originally appeared: November 2005 Rate It Print