Now you know that I love a fancy cocktail as much as the next person. And at holiday parties I can usually be found behind the bar for hours, mixing up drinks for the people I love. (After all, as a home bartending-enthusiast, that’s what I enjoy most!)

But some get-togethers call for something a bit more on the casual side: a way to serve a group of people something delicious that doesn’t take a ton of time. And for those instances, I highly recommend pre-preparing a batch cocktail! These libations can be mixed up before the guests arrive, left in a pitcher or bowl, and available for attendees to serve up themselves whenever they’re ready. And if you’re looking for the perfect batch cocktail recipe for a wintertime gathering, I suggest none other than this Holiday Sangria!

If you’ve been following along for awhile now, you know that I love a drink or spirit that has an interesting history. And sangrias are no exception. In fact, these delicious wine-based drinks that have been enjoyed for centuries!

Turns out that both ancient Greeks and Romans were known to mix wine with sugar, spices, and other ingredients. They loved the stuff, much like we do today! Their libation was known as “hippocras” and was born a bit out of necessity. You see, in that time the water was bacteria-filled and could not be safely consumed. But a touch of alcohol would make the water potable, and the other ingredients gave it flavor. Just like that, sangria’s oldest ancestor was born.

These days, the type of sangria we know and love here in United States rose to popularity during the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City. At that time, Spain’s sponsored pavilion served up healthy portions of sangria and folks here have been sipping on it ever since. And what better time to join in the long-held sangria tradition than during the holidays? In this recipe, we’re bringing sangria’s rich cocktail history right to your home bar, slicing and dicing some of the season’s most festive fruits to make it happen. And trust me, when the guests at your next get together take a sip of this delicious libation, they’ll be asking you to mix up another round! (Some will even be pestering you for the recipe, and in my opinion, the best cocktail recipe is one that has other people asking: “How can I make that?”)