Alright, so let me set the scene—it’s late October, the doorbell keeps ringing with trick-or-treaters (half of whom are taller than me and probably driving themselves), and the only thing keeping me sane is this giant pitcher of Halloween Sangria I whip up every year. Seriously, I started making it during a rainy Halloween party when my mulled wine totally flopped (don’t ask), and now it’s a non-negotiable part of my spooky spread. Plus, it gives me an excuse to buy those cheap plastic eyeballs and floating hands. Oh—and there’s something inherently funny about watching your uncle fish a grape ‘eyeball’ out of his glass with a fork, which is really the spirit of Halloween, right?

Why I Keep Coming Back To This Sangria

I make this whenever Halloween sneaks up and I realize I’ve somehow volunteered (again) to host the adults-only part of trick-or-treat night. My family goes a bit bonkers for it because it’s fruity (but not too sweet, thank goodness) and, well, it gives everyone an excuse to eat fruit soaked in wine. When I’m feeling lazy, I just dump whatever fruit is about to go off in the fridge into the pitcher—nobody’s ever complained. Sometimes the sangria ends up more purple than red, but hey, nobody’s grading me. Oh, and once I tried skipping the brandy, but it just wasn’t the same—lesson learned the hard way. And yes, I get irrationally annoyed when someone picks out all the oranges before I’ve had a glass. (You know who you are, Aunt Brenda.)

What You’ll Need (But Don’t Stress)

1 bottle dry red wine (I usually grab whatever’s on special; my grandmother insists on Rioja, but any dry wine works, really)
1/2 cup brandy (Cointreau or triple sec is a nice swap if you’re feeling fancy—or, let’s be real, if that’s what you’ve got)
1 cup orange juice (I’ve used apple juice in a pinch, and honestly, it’s pretty good—just a bit less zingy)
1/4 cup simple syrup or honey (sometimes I skip this if my fruit’s super sweet, but the kids at heart seem to prefer it with a touch of sugar)
1 orange, sliced into rounds
1 apple, cubed or sliced (Granny Smith is my go-to, but any apple will do the trick)
1 cup black grapes, halved (these look extra spooky, but green ones are fine, too)
1 cup mixed berries (optional, but I love tossing in frozen ones when fresh are pricy—thank you, freezer aisle)
1 cinnamon stick (adds a cozy, autumn vibe; skip if you’re not a fan)
1 can club soda or lemon-lime soda, to top (if you want it fizzy; sometimes I forget and nobody notices)
Plastic eyeballs or gummy worms for that final Halloween touch (totally optional, but highly encouraged)

How I Throw It Together

Pour the wine, brandy (or whatever orange liqueur you found at the back of the cupboard), and orange juice into a big pitcher. Add your sweetener, but give it a taste first—sometimes the fruit does all the work. Stir it up. This is where I usually sneak a taste. Quality control, you know?
Add all your sliced fruit and berries. If you’ve got a kid handy, have them toss in the grapes (and maybe sneak a few for themselves). Don’t worry if it looks a bit weird at this stage—it always does! Chuck in the cinnamon stick if you like that hint of spice.
Let it chill in the fridge for at least two hours—or overnight, if you’re more organized than I ever am. It really does taste better when the flavors meld, but if you’re in a rush, just add extra ice and call it a day.
Right before serving, top it up with club soda (or lemon-lime soda if you want it sweeter and a little more chaotic). Give everything a gentle stir. Float your plastic eyeballs or gummy worms on top if you’re feeling festive. Or, you know, just leave it fruity and call it a day.

Lil’ Notes From My Kitchen Fails and Wins

The sangria gets punchier the longer it sits—though if you leave it more than a day, the fruit gets a bit, well, mushy. Not the end of the world though.
Once, I used prosecco instead of club soda for topping—fancier, but honestly, it got too foamy and made a mess (still tasted great, though!).
I’ve tried adding pomegranate seeds for extra spook-factor, but they mostly just sank to the bottom. Still, they look cool when you’re fishing them out with a spoon.
I don’t recommend using very sweet wine—the whole thing gets a bit cloying and you’ll regret it by glass two.

Things I’ve Tweaked (And an Oops or Two)

Once swapped the brandy for spiced rum—turned out pretty wild; not exactly classic, but everyone seemed to like it anyway.
Green apple instead of red apple gives it a nice tart kick. Actually, I think I prefer that most of the time.
Added a splash of cranberry juice last year because I ran out of orange juice—it worked, but made it a bit sharper. Probably not for everyone.
Tried adding cut-up licorice for more Halloween vibes—wouldn’t really recommend. It turned weirdly gloopy. Lesson learned.

Do You Really Need Fancy Gear?

Big old pitcher is ideal (I grabbed a cheap glass one like this from IKEA), but honestly, I’ve made this in a mixing bowl when my pitcher was busy holding flowers. A wooden spoon for stirring is nice, but your hands do the job too—just don’t tell your guests. If you really want to go rogue, I suppose you could use a clean watering can (joking, mostly, but desperate times…)

How Long Will It Keep? (Not That It Ever Lasts)

Technically, you could keep it covered in the fridge for 2 days, but, and I can’t stress this enough, it’s never lasted more than a few hours in my house. The fruit gets a bit sad after a day, so if you have leftovers, maybe fish out the fruit and eat it with a spoon (or toss it on some vanilla ice cream—amazing)

How We Serve It

We usually scoop out a little fruit into each glass first, then top with the sangria itself—so everyone gets some boozy bits. If you’re feeling extra, hang a gummy worm over the rim or toss in a plastic spider. My cousin once put dry ice in for smoke, but honestly, that terrified the dog, so now we stick to the more edible decorations. Sometimes we even use those mason jars I swore I’d never buy more of (and yet…)

Lessons I Learned The Hard Way

Don’t try to rush chilling time; it needs at least a couple hours. I once skipped that and it tasted like fruit salad with a wine problem.
Always taste before adding extra sweetener—twice I dumped in honey, and it turned out way too sweet. Actually, I find it works better if you err on the less-sweet side at first.
Red wine stains—just trust me on this one. (If you need stain advice, Good Housekeeping has a great guide.)

Frequently Asked (And Sometimes Odd) Questions

Can I make this kid-friendly? Oh, totally! Just use grape juice instead of wine and skip the booze. Maybe add extra soda. The kids love the floating gummy worms. (Okay, I do too.)
What’s the best wine to use? I usually pick a dry red that’s not too expensive—nobody has noticed the difference, so don’t break the bank. Shiraz and Tempranillo have both worked for me.
Can I make it ahead? Yep! In fact, it’s better after a night in the fridge. Just add the soda before serving. Actually, I tend to think it peaks the next day (if it makes it that long).
What if I don’t have brandy? No stress—just use more wine, a splash of orange liqueur, or even vodka. Or skip it. It’s all good.
Do I need to strain it? Nah, unless you hate bits of fruit in your glass. I think that’s half the fun, but, suit yourself.
How can I make it look extra spooky? Well, plastic eyeballs and gummy worms are my go-to, but I saw someone on Pinterest make lychee ‘eyeballs’ stuffed with blueberries if you want to get super creative. On second thought… that’s a project for next year.

Anyway, that’s my rambling ode to Halloween Sangria. If you try it (or totally wing it and invent your own version), let me know how it goes! Or just send me pictures of your weirdest garnish ideas. Happy haunting and cheers to not taking yourself too seriously in the kitchen!