Carbonate Your Red Sangria For A Much-Needed Fizzy Upgrade

Red sangria drinkers and soda streamers (or whatever your carbonation machine of choice might be), unite! Your bubbly maker and fruity red wine cocktail are about to get a whole lot more interesting by joining forces. Easy red sangria, made with red wine, a mixture of fruits — fresh or frozen — brandy, bitters, herbs, and spices, is a summertime staple for those big backyard soirees. But to make your drink pop, try making your sangria bubbly with your home carbonation machine to create a refreshing, bespoke version of this adult punch.

The beauty of adding soda to your pitcher of sangria is it will add a touch of sweetness while watering it down a bit, so if you were a little heavy-handed with the alcohol, things don't get too crazy too quickly. It will also stretch your signature drink for the evening, which is helpful if you are serving a crowd. Simply make your favorite red sangria recipe, and right before you serve it — yes, fizzy ingredients have to wait when making batch cocktails — top it off with your customized soda.

If you pour the bubbles too soon, they will go flat. So save that soda until you or your guests are ready for that first glass of your refreshing cocktail. There's another benefit to exercising patience when pouring. If you have any leftovers of your perfect sangria, you can save it and top it off as you go. Additionally, you can pair different flavors of soda or seltzer with the sangria based on your guests' preferences. This customization detail will keep everyone happy.

When it comes to soda flavor pairings for your red sangria, think of those similar to Dr. Pepper, Coca-Cola, or cherry-flavored soda. While a white sangria is perfect with ginger ale or even an orange or grapefruit-flavored soda or seltzer, red sangria needs a brown or red soda to complement your red wine. Alton Brown uses Cheerwine, which has a cherry flavor, in his red sangria to give it a Southern edge.

The type of carbonated soda you choose may also influence your choice of wine. When it comes to sangria, you want a fruity and inexpensive wine, and if you are adding soda to it, you want to choose a complementary flavor. But you can't go wrong with a Spanish wine. 

A Rioja, which has a medium sweetness and notes of dark berries, can serve as a good base for cherry-flavored sodas. A Malbec is also a good choice. It has a tartness to it with notes of plum and cocoa. Add your Coca-Cola to this choice. Or try a Garnacha wine, which tends to skew spicy with hints of berry. And don't shy away from a good merlot. These wines tend to skew fruity with a touch of spice and can make for a great glass of sangria.

When choosing fruits, fresh or frozen work well. Remember, sangria is meant to be an easy cocktail that uses whatever ingredients you have on hand. Frozen fruit needs to thaw before you add it, or it will further water down your drink as it melts. Peaches, mangoes, apples, cherries, or berries will all go well in a red sangria topped with these darker sodas.