Hibiscus sangria is a fruity, delicious drink that is great for parties. I made a hibiscus sangria bar with tons of options to cater to my guests’ different tastes. Learn how to create this tasty drink here.
What is sangria?
Sangria is a mix of Spanish red wine and fruit. It is a fresh, fruity, and easy drink that most people like. Technically, there is no exact way to make sangria; it is just a fruit punch made with seasonal fruit.
The most common sangria in Spain contains wine, brandy, fresh chopped fruit, a sweetener, a cinnamon stick, and sometimes soda.
What kind of fruit should I use for sangria?
Usually, they add apples and oranges in Spain, but you can use any fruit you have on hand. All types of fruit pair well with hibiscus, so for my hibiscus sangria bar, I used:
- Apples: I love color and contrast, so I used 1 green apple and 1 red apple.
- Grapes: Red and green grapes for that extra pop of color.
- Oranges: I like Cara Cara oranges or navel oranges. There is no need to peel them completely, as the peel adds flavor to the drink.
- Pomegranate seeds: Optional, but they add color and texture and make everything more festive.
- Other fruit: You could also use pears, strawberries, cranberries, or dried hibiscus petals.
- Spices: Star anise and cinnamon. You can also add cardamom and/or whole cloves.
Best red wine for sangria
Any Spanish wine will work here, and the best part is that it does not even have to be expensive. Typically, sangria is made with Rioja wine, but I opted for a Garnacha-based wine for this hibiscus sangria.
Another difference from the traditional sangria is that I do not add any other liquor like rum, triple sec, brandy, or pisco. I like it very simple and fresh.
How to make hibiscus tea sangria
- Make the sangria fruit ice cubes. Chop oranges and apples really small (both red and green apples for color contrast), slice red and green grapes, and peel a pomegranate. Divide all the sliced fruit into large ice cube trays and add the spices. Cover and freeze until solid.
- Concentrate the hibiscus tea. In a small saucepan, boil one loosely packed cup of dried hibiscus flowers in three cups of water. Strain the tea and add 3/4 cup of sugar. The flavor of hibiscus is tart, so start by slowly adding your sweetener until you have the perfect taste. Remember, it is a concentrate, so it must be sweet and rich in flavor.
- At this point, the tea will be warm, so pour it into a large pitcher or tightly closed glass bottle and place it in your fridge to cool down.
- If you cannot find hibiscus flowers in your area, you can substitute them with hibiscus tea bags.
- Open a bottle of wine and put it all together. In a wine glass, add one or two fruity sangria ice cubes, hibiscus tea concentrate, and finish by pouring in the wine. Stir and enjoy.
Alternatively, serve in a pitcher or punch bowl by combining the hibiscus tea concentrate, the red wine, and the fruity sangria ice cubes. Then divide into wine glasses.
Fun fact: In Mexico, hibiscus is called jamaica. In the Caribbean, it is called sorrel. In Nigeria, it is called zobo.
Tips and tricks
- What if the fruity ice melts? Do not worry if the fruity ice cubes start to melt, just serve the fruit with a spoon in your wine glass.
- How to adapt the recipe for kids? Having a sangria bar is a perfect idea for entertaining families with young kids. Instead of sangria, you can serve the kids a fruit punch. Mix the hibiscus concentrate, one or two cubes of fruity ice, orange juice, grapefruit juice, or lemonade. Omit the tea if they do not like the hibiscus flavor.
- If you have extra hibiscus concentrate, add more water and turn it into agua fresca.
Why a hibiscus sangria bar?
- Because you can prepare all your ingredients ahead of time. Making sangria from scratch is a bit time-consuming; it involves chopping a lot of fruit.
- Because you can spoil all of your guests by letting them customize their own drinks. They can decide if they want sparkling water, still water, wine, soda, ginger ale, or hibiscus tea.
- Because all the sangria fruit chopped and frozen in ice cubes adds a huge wow factor to the cocktail.
- And in a pinch, they can make a white sangria if they do not love red wine.
Storage
- Hibiscus concentrate: Store in a tightly sealed bottle or jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Fruit ice cubes: Keep frozen in the trays or transfer to a freezer bag. They last up to 1 month.
- Assembled sangria: Best enjoyed within 24 hours. The fruit can get mushy if it sits too long in the liquid.
Frequently asked questions
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Hibiscus Sangria
Equipment
- small saucepan
- large pitcher
- Ice cube trays
- Cutting board
- Knife
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried hibiscus flowers or 4 to 5 hibiscus tea bags
- 3 cups water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 bottle dry Spanish red wine Rioja or Garnacha
- 1 green apple finely chopped
- 1 red apple finely chopped
- 1 cup red grapes sliced
- 1 cup green grapes sliced
- 2 oranges Cara Cara or navel, chopped with peel
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds optional
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise pods
- Optional: cardamom pods whole cloves
Instructions
- Make the sangria fruit ice cubes: Chop the apples, oranges, and grapes into small pieces. Divide the fruit and spices among large ice cube trays. Fill with water and freeze until solid.
- Make the hibiscus concentrate: In a small saucepan, bring the dried hibiscus flowers and 3 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain and stir in 3/4 cup of sugar while warm. Taste and adjust sweetness. Let cool completely.
- To serve by the glass: Place 1 to 2 fruit ice cubes in a wine glass. Add 1/4 cup hibiscus concentrate and top with red wine. Stir gently.
- To serve in a pitcher: Combine the entire bottle of wine with the hibiscus concentrate in a large pitcher. Add the fruit ice cubes and stir. Divide into glasses.
- Garnish with extra fresh fruit or a cinnamon stick if desired.
Notes
- The hibiscus concentrate can be made up to 5 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
- Fruit ice cubes can be frozen up to 1 month in advance.
- For a non-alcoholic version, replace the wine with sparkling water or orange juice.
- Adjust the sugar in the concentrate to your taste — hibiscus is naturally tart.
Nutrition
information
Nutritional information of this recipe is only an estimate, the accuracy for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Hi, I’m Ale Graf!
I’m a Mexican home cook based in Texas and the voice behind AleCooks and Piloncillo & Vainilla.
I create easy, family-friendly recipes with Mexican roots and a plant-forward mindset—always flexible and made to bring people together. I’m also the co-author of Yo Cocino Latino and love helping home cooks feel more confident in the kitchen.
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