Close your eyes and picture this...It is a hot summer day, the pool is glistening, and the children are nowhere to be seen. It's 11 am, but who cares, this Watermelon Sweet Tea Sangria has been steeping in the fridge overnight. Brunch or Lunch, whichever you decide, this refreshing drink will be by your side!
I have been stewing this concept in my head for a while, and I finally got it out of there and made it a reality. Why not mash up some of my favorite things and add some alcohol!?
I add watermelon to my sweet tea all summer, so this was kind of a no-brainer for me. And it's sooooo good! I tasted it just after making it, and then the next day after letting the watermelon sit in it overnight, make the time to let it sit, it was soooo much better. Tons of watermelon flavor.
Ingredients
The first ingredient I want to talk about here is the sweet tea. You want to start with a great quality tea, and you want to brew it strong. Click that link back there and get that tea, it will change your life!
Next, you want a nice sweet wine, for this one anyway. Sangria doesn't always have to be sweet, but this is Watermelon "Sweet Tea" Sangria so we want a good sweetness. I stumbled across this watermelon wine while shopping for this recipe, and I figured it was super fitting to use it!
I then add some watermelon vodka or schnapps to boost the flavor and add a little more kick. Adding the fruit and the tea will water the wine down a bit, so look at it as balancing the proof. I promise it won't knock you on your butt or anything, it is still enjoyable, and I don't know if it's a good thing or not, but you don't even taste the alcohol.
Finally, you need some fresh watermelon chunks to add to the pitcher. They will release all kinds of amazing flavors that will turn this into your new favorite summer patio drink! I also like to cut a few thin wedges to garnish each glass with.
When you fill the glass with ice and sangria, there is nothing more refreshing than an ice-cold piece of watermelon to snack on.
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.
Method
Sangria has been made and enjoyed for hundreds of years. It has quite the tumultuous past in Europe. You can read more on that HERE, it's a quick read on the history of the now world-famous drink.
Sangria was originally created and drunk because the water was unsafe to drink. The alcohol made it drinkable and the fruit gave it a bit of flavor. In its inception, sangria was simply made with whatever fruit was on hand or nearby at the time. No two are the same. So rest assured that this is a drink you can customize any way you like.
Sangria was made popular in the united states after its introduction at the 1964 worlds fair. It has been a staple here ever since and now has endless varieties.
Making sangria is simple! Add fruit and wine to a large pitcher and let it hang out for a while. I have added the step of bringing some tea and adding a little extra alcohol, but it still remains a sangria at its core.
I prefer to let my sangria rest overnight, so I usually make a pitcher before bed and let it hang out in the fridge for as long as I can stand to not tap into it.
Notes & Tips
Chop your watermelon small. I like to cut it into tiny little pieces for steeping in this sangria. It makes them like little ice cubes and you can eat them easily in the end. And you will want to eat them, they will be super tasty!
Allow your sangria to rest overnight if possible. It is ok to let it hang in the fridge for about 4 hours. But as with most things, the more time the flavors have to meld the better.
If your pitcher lasts 3 days, mine never does, it can be held in the fridge that long. And lemme tell ya, it was DANG good on day 3.
Substitutions
If you don't want to brew your own tea, purchasing your favorite premade tea for a quick and easy swap is totally ok! Also, eliminate the sugar from the recipe.
A bottle of sweet white wine or rosé is what is best for this recipe. Anything you know you enjoy, and it doesn't have to be expensive.
I like to add the watermelon vodka, if you can't get your hands on that, plain vodka will work. You can also eliminate it if you want to alcohol content to be super low. Sangria is low alcohol anyway, so it can be enjoyed all day.
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📖 Recipe
Watermelon Sweet Tea Sangria
It's 11 am, but who cares, this Watermelon Sweet Tea Sangria has been steeping in the fridge overnight. Brunch or Lunch, whichever you decide, this refreshing drink will be by your side!
Ingredients
- 4 cups Black Tea, brewed strong
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1, 750ml bottle Sweet White Wine, Moscato preferred
- 3, 50ml bottles 99 Watermelon Vodka
- 2 cups fresh Watermelon, diced
- 6 wedges Watermelon, for garnish
- Fresh Mint Sprigs, optional
Instructions
- First, brew your tea. Allow the tea bags to steep for 6 minutes to create a strong tea concentrate.
- Remove the tea bags and add the sugar to the warm tea. Stir to combine.
- Allow the tea to cool to room temperature before using.
- In a larger pitcher, combine the brewed sweet tea, the bottle of wine, the watermelon vodka, and 2 cups diced watermelon. Stir to combine and allow to rest for a minimum of 4 hours, but overnight is better.
- Serve in an ice-filled glass with a wedge of watermelon to garnish.
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