Refreshing Blood Orange Berry Summer Sangria Recipe

What better way to celebrate the season than with a blood orange berry summer sangria recipe? It’s our go-to summer drink and with one big hack to make sangria even easier, this recipe is perfect for your next gathering or summer get together!

Sharing our summer sangria recipe in this sponsored post with J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines; as always all opinions are honest and my own.

Summer…that time when our days are filled with straw hats, the scent of sunscreen, swimsuits, laughter with friends, fresh cut grass, melting ice cream drips, pool splashes, freckled faces, beach romps, and sand between our toes. When our nights are full of backyard barbecues, dusk around the bonfire, silly sing-alongs, s’mores and endless stargazing.

With the season in full swing and a few pool parties, barbecues, and get-togethers marked on our calendar, I’ve happily donned my hostess hat. One of my favorite things about having my own home and entertaining space is being able to have people over for a good time of connection and community.

When it comes to planning our gatherings, whether laid back and super casual (what I’m leaning into lately) or a more themed fête, there is a short bullet list of items I’ll check off when preparing…even if it’s a running list in my head. That list makes up the menu of food, drinks, and fun.

First up is brainstorming the eats menu. This is where I decide whether we are providing all of the food or if we are having others contribute; whether we are sticking to a theme such as tacos, pizza, or BBQ or if we are just doing small nibbles. Once the food is sorted I get to planning the drinks, and here I like to keep things fresh and simple but always delicious. Plus, it’s nice to throw in an adult option as well once in a while.

Finally I plan out the fun; this can be as simple as swimming in the pool, playing yard games, watching a movie, having a dance party, games around the farmhouse table, the list goes on. I just like to have a few things in mind when it comes to entertaining our guests and I’ve found that kids definitely require this a little more than adults – we adults are usually more than happy sitting together with our drinks and having conversations without interruptions. No matter the occasion, it doesn’t hurt to have a plan.

Being that our get-togethers have been more backyard potluck style this summer, and always with something good whipped up on a skillet or grill, my most recent obsession has been coming up with fun and delicious drink options. My go to drink at the moment is a fruity summer sangria (I’ll be honest, I’ve always been a fan of sangria but haven’t indulged too often and for some reason I never really tried making it myself until recently).

A Refreshing Summer Sangria Recipe, Perfect for your Parties:

You guys, this Blood Orange Berry Summer Sangria recipe is light, fruity and refreshing and pairs well with pretty much anything…which is a major win in my book. I know that blood orange anything and summer don’t usually go hand in hand and blood oranges are a winter fruit, but this recipe incorporates a simple hack that makes it SO easy…and it means less ingredients as well, which results in more time for your own backyard barbecues, sunny days, or summer celebrations and less time in the kitchen!

Mixed with J. Lohr Estates Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon, this summer sangria recipe takes the layered aromas of black currant and red berry fruit with the deeper notes of hazelnut, cocoa powder, and dark roasted coffee and makes them bright and cheery for days spent in the sunshine or warm evenings that call for a delicious refreshment. 

Since blood oranges aren’t in season, using blood orange soda does the trick, and I don’t even have to add in sugar (or let it dissolve)! The soda keeps it sweet and light. If you wanted to reduce the sugar factor, you could always use blood orange flavored sparkling water!

And our summer sangria recipe would also make for an insanely good winter sangria recipe as well!! Just add a couple of cinnamon sticks and throw in some blood orange slices, since they’ll be in season.