Sangria is one of my favorite drinks. And I tested several different recipes trying to come up with a nonalcoholic version that would even come close to the deliciousness of classic sangria. After several failed attempts, I finally came up with this Nonalcoholic Elderberry Sangria that hits all the right flavor notes. Plus, you get the added immune-supporting benefits of elderberries.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s perfectly reminiscent of classic sangria. It’s not too sweet, perfectly spiced, and the elderberry adds the complexity that would otherwise be missing without the red wine.
It’s easy to prep ahead. The base recipe can, and even should, be made a day in advance and brought out when ready to serve.
The elderberry infusion, which is the “secret” ingredient, is also loaded with health benefits thanks to the elderberries and spices. You could even enjoy it on its own as tea.

The “Secret” To The Best Nonalcoholic Sangria

Most of the nonalcoholic sangria recipes I tried were basically just combinations of different fruit juices along with some cut fruit and a few spices. And they were fine. But they were always missing something. And they tended to be too sweet.

Red wine is (very generally speaking) complex, full-bodied, dry, and definitely not too sweet. So simply using a grape or even pomegranate juice in its place leaves much to be desired. However, a strong elderberry infusion has a lot of the same flavor elements as red wine. And I found it to be the key missing piece in creating a solidly good nonalcoholic sangria.

Spiced Elderberry Infusion

A strong elderberry infusion is tart, tangy, earthy, and has a complex flavor that I found to be much more in line with the flavor of red wine than any of the fruit juices available. And because you’re infusing the dried berries, there’s no sugar, so it helps to balance out the natural sugars in the other juices in the recipe.

Making a spiced elderberry infusion also allows the other spices to shine. In traditional sangria, the alcohol in the wine helps extract the flavors of spices like cinnamon sticks and cloves. But if you just add those same spices to an alcohol-free punch, you’re not going to get as much of the flavor out of them as you could.

By adding the spices when making the elderberry infusion, you’re able to fully extract the flavors that these spices provide. And that adds a much-needed element to this nonalcoholic sangria recipe.

OK, enough of the nerdy explanations. Here’s how you make the spiced elderberry infusion.

In a medium saucepan, combine cold water, dried elderberries, dried cinnamon, dried ginger, cardamom pods, and whole cloves. Cover and slowly bring to a boil over medium heat.
Once the mixture is boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove from heat and allow the mixture to steep, covered, for 30-60 minutes.
Strain the infusion through a fine mesh sieve over a large glass measuring cup or jar. You should have about 2 cups of infusion, give or take. If it’s quite a bit less, add water to bring it to 2 cups. If it’s more, don’t worry about it.
Chill the infusion in the fridge until ready to use.

Making The Nonalcoholic Sangria Base

The base of this nonalcoholic sangria should be made at least a few hours before you plan on serving it so that all the flavors have time to mingle. I like to make it the day before and let it all hang out in my fridge until I’m ready to serve it.

To make the sangria base, you’ll need

Spiced elderberry infusion
Pomegranate juice
Orange juice
Pomegranate arils
Sliced pear
Sliced orange
Sliced lemon

In a large jar (½ gallon mason jars work well for this) or glass pitcher, combine all the ingredients and stir. Store the sangria base in the fridge until ready to serve.

Serving The Nonalcoholic Elderberry Sangria

My favorite sangrias always have a bit of fizz to them, so I chose to use ginger beer for this recipe. I like a spicy ginger beer and I think it adds the perfect flavor and kick to this nonalcoholic elderberry sangria.

To serve, fill a glass with ice. Then add about 4 ounces of the sangria base and top with about 4 ounces of ginger beer. The ratios are totally up to you but I found a 1:1 ratio to be pretty perfect.

If you don’t love how spicy ginger beer is, you can also use ginger ale. Or you can go for simple sparkling water instead. Just follow your heart (and your tastebuds) on this one. You can’t go wrong.

Benefits Of Elderberry

The information in this post is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is always best to work with a qualified healthcare professional before incorporating herbs into your diet.

The main reason I used elderberries in this recipe was to try to mimic the flavor of a dry red wine. But the elderberries and spices also bring along health benefits that make this elderberry sangria even more amazing in my eyes.

Elderberry is a well-known herbal ally for the immune system. It inhibits the spread of many viral infections, helps reduce inflammation, and can help shorten the duration and severity of cold and flu symptoms.
Cinnamon is warming and can gently help to increase circulation, bringing warmth to chronically cold extremities. It also helps support healthy blood sugar regulation.
Ginger is one of the best herbs for supporting healthy digestion. It’s a very warm herb that stimulates circulation, supports your immune system, and can reduce inflammatory pain.
Cardamom is a digestive aid with a reputation as an aphrodisiac. It warms the body and has mildly stimulating effects.
Cloves warm the body, stimulate circulation, and support digestion. It has also traditionally been used to relieve toothaches.

I love it when herbal health support and delicious food combine, and this nonalcoholic elderberry sangria recipe is a perfect example of what I love about kitchen herbalism.

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Nonalcoholic Spiced Elderberry Sangria

This nonalcoholic sangria recipe uses a strong spiced elderberry infusion to create a booze-free alternative that’s as good as the original.

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Course Drinks

Servings 10

Ingredients

For Spiced Elderberry Infusion

2 ½ cups water
2 tablespoons dried elderberries
2 teaspoons dried cinnamon about 1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon dried ginger or 1-inch piece fresh ginger, chopped
1 teaspoon cardamom pods lighty crushed
¼ teaspoon whole cloves

For Sangria

2 cups spiced elderberry infusion
2 cups pomegranate juice
1 cups orange juice
⅓ cup pomegranate arils
1 pear sliced
1 orange sliced
1 lemon sliced
5 cups (40 ounces) ginger beer

Instructions

For Spiced Elderberry Infusion

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, dried elderberries, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom pods, and whole cloves. Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 30-60 minutes.
Strain the infusion through a fine mesh sieve over a large glass measuring cup or other heat-proof bowl. You should have about two cups of spiced elderberry infusion, give or take. If it’s quite a bit less, just add more water to the infusion to get it up to two cups.
Chill the infusion in the fridge until ready to use.

For Sangria

In a carafe or pitcher, combine the prepared spiced elderberry infusion, pomegranate juice, orange juice, pomegranate arils, sliced pear, and sliced orange. Stir and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
When ready to serve, fill a glass with ice. Then pour about 4 ounces of sangria mixture into the glass and top with about 4 ounces of ginger beer. Be sure to serve with some of the steeped fruit in each glass—it’s pretty and delicious that way.

Nonalcoholic Spiced Elderberry Sangria

Why You’ll Love This Recipe