If you’re looking for the perfect summer drink, look no further than the famous blackberry sangria.
This refreshing drink has a delightful flavor that is fruit-forward and perfectly sweet. Any happy hour will be made better by this fun drink.
If you’re a fan of Carrabba’s Italian Grill, you probably know about their delicious sangria. You may not know that you can make a delightful copycat drink at home without Carrabba’s sangria recipe!
This easy recipe will help you make your favorite blackberry sangria without you needing to leave the house. With just a few minutes of prep time and some simple ingredients, you’ll have a drink to make on repeat this summer.
Carrabba’s Blackberry Sangria Recipe
Making a blackberry sangria that is just as good as Carrabba’s (if not better!) is surprisingly easy. You just need wine, brandy, fruit, syrup, and juice to whip up this delicious drink.
Why Make Your Own Sangria?
Don’t get me wrong, going out to eat is always a treat, especially with a sweet, refreshing beverage to accompany your meal. There are many reasons, however, that you may want to make your own sangria rather than going out. For one, making sangria is much less expensive than purchasing it at a restaurant. If you are on a budget but still want to enjoy this fun drink, making your own is an affordable alternative.
You also may want to make blackberry sangria at home so you can customize it! Carrabba’s sangria is quite tasty as it is, but you may prefer different fruit, different alcohol, or a different level of sweetness. Making your own sangria allows you to make it exactly how you prefer your beverages! Read on for some of my favorite ways to change up the recipe.
Ingredients
Red wine: To make it as close to Carrabba’s as possible, use a dry wine from Italy. You may want your sangria sweeter, in which case you can use a sweet wine. Check out our guide to Italian red wines here.
Fresh blackberries: Fresh fruit is essential to delicious sangria! You can also use frozen blackberries, but allow them to thaw first.
Citrus fruits: We will be using a combination of oranges, lemons, and limes to give this sangria more flavor and to balance the sweetness.
Blackberry syrup: Fresh blackberries add a delicious pop of flavor and make the drink more lovely, but this syrup is where most of the blackberry flavor comes from. I recommend the Monin brand, but you can use another brand or homemade if you desire.
Tuaca: This Italian brandy liqueur is a blend of brandy, orange, and vanilla. For a sangria that is very similar to Carrabba’s, use Tuaca. Alternatively, you can use cognac or fruit liqueur.
Lemon-lime soda: For some bubbles and added sweetness, we will add a splash of soda. Feel free to substitute a different type of soda or club soda.
Cranberry juice: Cranberry juice is lightly tart and full of fruity flavor! I recommend using 100% cranberry juice, not cranberry cocktail.
How to Make a Single Serving of Blackberry Sangria
Because sangria takes a few hours in the fridge, it is a bit more time-intensive than other alcoholic mixed drinks. For that reason, I prefer to make at least a half-pitcher and save it in the fridge to enjoy later in the week. Sangria is good for about 3-5 days if kept cold. If you want to make a single serving, however, you absolutely can. Here are the proportions for ingredients:
- 1 orange slice
- 1 lemon slice
- 1 lime slice
- 2 ounces blackberries
- 1 ounce Tuaca
- 1.5 ounces cranberry juice
- 5 ounces red wine
- ½ ounce blackberry syrup, plus more to taste
- 2 ounces lemon-lime soda
To make your single serving of sangria, follow the instructions below, making it directly into your glass.
Variations
Try a different fruit juice: Substitute some of the cranberry juice with orange juice or pineapple juice for an extra splash of flavor.
Add some tartness: Give this sangria a tangy flavor with fresh lemon juice or lime juice.
Try a different soda: Rather than using lemon-lime soda, try ginger ale or orange soda. For a less sweet sangria, you can use plain club soda.
Try a different fruit syrup: Blackberry syrup is the most authentic to Carrabba’s, but there are many delicious fruit syrups you could use! You can purchase flavored syrup or make your own with white sugar and water.
Add other fresh summer fruit: It doesn’t have to stop at blackberries and citrus! Try adding more fruit slices such as fresh berries, peach slices, or even kiwi to this homemade sangria.
Make a white wine sangria: White sangria is lighter and more crisp. Both are delicious, but feel free to use white wine instead of red for this blackberry sangria recipe.
Try More Refreshing Summer Beverages
Craft the perfect summer happy hours with all of our delicious Italian cocktails:
Print
Blackberry Sangria Recipe | Carrabba’s Copycat
- Yield: 1 pitcher (about 5 drinks) 1x
Ingredients
8 orange slices
8 lemon slices
8 lime slices
12 ounces of blackberries
4 ounces Tuaca
½ cup Monin blackberry syrup, or to taste
1 cup cranberry juice
1 bottle dry red wine (750 mL)
2 ounces lemon-lime soda per glass
Instructions
- Combine Tuaca, fruit, and syrup in a large pitcher and set aside for about 30 minutes.
- Add wine and juice to the pitcher and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours.
- When ready to serve, fill a 16-ounce glass or mason jar halfway with sangria. Add about 2 ounces of soda and fill to the top with ice cubes.
- Garnish with a slice of orange and a blackberry.
