My Favorite Thanksgiving Sangria Recipe (& More!)

I’m grateful for all of you – and of course, for a pitcher of sangria shared amongst friends around this table! Last week, I hosted Friendsgiving at my place. It’s one of my favorite traditions this time of year, and truly feeds our souls just as much as it feeds our bellies. I couldn’t recommend it enough!

And this time of year, my DMs start to get flooded with questions about hosting Thanksgiving. So many of you have shared that you’ll be hosting for the first time this year after a few years of uncertainty, blocked travel plans, and health concerns. (Yay for getting back out there in the world!) It warms my heart to see how excited you all are about gathering around the table in your own homes for the biggest feast of the year. And I have a few tips and tricks to share! I’ve been hosting Thanksgiving for our extended families for years, and it’s a responsibility that I do not take lightly.

Before we get into my favorite sangria recipe, I wanted to share a few things I’ve learned over the past few years of hosting big meals like Thanksgiving at our home. Here we go!

1. Make as much ahead as possible. A little bit of reverse scheduling goes a long way to make sure you’re not burnt to a crisp (mentally and physically) by the time the meal gets on the table.
2. Get a casserole stacking rack for your oven! Seriously. Especially if you only have one oven, and you’ll need to take one of the racks out to accommodate the turkey pan. You need this casserole stacking rack to get everything done on time!
3. Don’t be afraid to assign everyone a task. You want your guests to enjoy their time in your home and not feel like it’s work. But being in the kitchen together is fun! If you have family that likes to come over and socialize before the big meal, put football on in the background. But put a sticky note on a bowl filled with ingredients and appropriate utensils. (“Mom – you’re on potato duty! Cube and put them in this pot.”)
4. Know your menu, plan ahead, and simplify. I put together a seriously helpful resource for you guys – more on that below!

The Bits of Bri Thanksgiving Handbook is a 15-page guide to putting on a beautiful traditional American Thanksgiving spread, complete with 11 recipes, cocktail ideas, a game for the kids’ table, and every single tip I have in my arsenal for hosting a big crowd! This has been a labor of love years in the making, made possible by experience, tried-and-true family recipes, and of course, you guys! I’m so happy to be able to offer this to everyone for free! Anything I can do to make the holidays easier for you guys, I’m always going to try to make it happen at little to no cost to you. Thank you for your continuous support through the years, and for making my job such a gift.

My Favorite Thanksgiving Sangria Recipe

🍷 1 bottle red wine (I used @apothicwine dark for this, still not sponsored 😉)
🦃 1 bottle sparkling cider
🍷 1 cup pomegranate juice
🦃 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
🍷 1 sliced pear
🦃 1 sliced orange
🍷 5 cinnamon sticks
🦃 extra orange slices for a garnish
Make 1-2 hours before guests arrive for the best flavor! Refrigerate until it’s time to serve! ✨🍷🦃🥰 Cheers!! 😘✨🍷

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