Though I tend to do very little imbibing these days, I do enjoy it now and again for special occasions. With the official start of the holidays upon us, I was on a mission to come up with a drink that could become the cocktail of the season. I have been working feverishly on the plans and the menu for our Thanksgiving feast this year and this seasonal appropriate libation will be perfect for our Friendsgiving get-together.

Sangria is the perfect cocktail for entertaining, so really it’d be great for any celebration. You can make a large batch a day ahead of time, let all of the flavors infuse with one another and as guests arrive, serve chilled with some fresh bubbles on top.

I personally love the flavor and the fizziness of kombucha and I love that it contains healthy bacteria, good for our guts. So yeah maybe it’s a little detox/retox situation when you combine kombucha with alcohol, but whatever, it’s too good together to be ignored. If kombucha isn’t your thing, sparkling water or soda would work great too. No matter where they’re from, I personally find the bubbles to be a nice addition.

This sangria is sweet and tart and has so many wonderful warming flavors from the spices. Plus, each glass is a gorgeous work of art with the various floating fruit and the pretty clove-studded orange wedges. This cocktail has the comforting flavors of mulled wine in a chilled, refreshing and bubbly treat!

This recipe was originally shared on the Free People Blog BLDG 25

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Spiced Apple Cranberry Kombucha Sangria

• 1 bottle white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)
• 3-4 apples, any variety you’d like
• 2 oranges, sliced into thick rounds
• whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1/2 cup pure cranberry juice, no sweetener added
• 1 cup apple cider, no sweetener added
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1/4 cup raw honey (or any other sweetener you prefer)
• 1 -2 bottles Kombucha (or sparkling water/soda)

Stud the orange slices with cloves by sticking the oranges with a tooth-pick to create a hole, then stuffing a clove into it. Keep a few clove-studded orange slices aside for garnish.

Add all of the ingredients except the kombucha to a large pitcher or sangria bowl. Give it all a good stir until the honey is dissolved. Allow it to sit a several hours or overnight in the refrigerator, to let the flavors come together.

To serve, pour into glasses, grabbing some of the fruit for each glass. Top each glass with a generous swig of your favorite kombucha (or sparkling water) and give it a stir. Garnish with a clove-studded orange wedge. Enjoy! [/print_this]