Published November 25, 2020

During the pandemic this year, I had the opportunity to read more nonfiction. I normally strayed from dense business books and personal development, that is until I read Rachel Hollis’s book, Girl, Wash Your Face, and the sequel, Girl, Stop Apologizing.

Over this year, I learned more about Rachel Hollis as a media mogul and how she grew her business, brand, and leadership. Rachel Hollis is the CEO and founder of The Hollis Co., a New York Times Best-Selling Author, 2x podcast host, with a list of accomplishments.

I love following her journey as she launches new products, hosts the annual RISE Conference, and logs on for weekly book clubs and Instagram Live sessions.

Which is why, when I saw that Rachel is also a foodie, I had to try one of her recipes. Just in time for Thanksgiving, I think this Apple Cider Sangria will be a hit with my immediate household.

Ingredients for Rachel Hollis’s Apple Cider Sangria

Since I drink so infrequently, I went to the store for all of the ingredients. I bought the apples and cranberries the week of Thanksgiving. Given the pandemic cases increasing in the U.S., plus holiday shopping, I was grateful to be able to find these ingredients on such short notice.

I went to my local liquor store for the rest of the liquor in this recipe.

I don’t enjoy white wine, so I was a bit stumped to figure out what Sauvignon Blanc to use. Rachel also recommends using Moscato. In the end, I bought Woodbridge Sauvignon Blanc by Robert Mondavi.

Though I like the taste of fruity rum drinks, I didn’t have any bottles of white rum at home. Plus, I knew I would never drink a whole bottle of rum at any point, so I decided to buy the mini-bottles to use for this recipe.

I asked the guy at the register to give me whatever he recommended. I ended up with four mini bottles of Bacardi. For this recipe, I only used one and a quarter. If you like your sangria a little boozier, feel free to add more.

How to Make Rachel Hollis’s Apple Cider Sangria

Tools for this Dish

• Cutting board and knife

• Large glass pitcher

• Wine opener and wooden spoon

• Serving glasses

Cooking Notes

Preparing Your Apple Cider Sangria

I washed and left the peel on my apples for some additional color. Make sure that you have all of your ingredients measured before you start chopping your apples. You want to avoid them turning brown before you add them to the pitcher.

Try to avoid the core when cutting your apple, since these pieces can be decorative and edible when serving your sangria.

Mixing the Apple Cider Sangria

The only pitcher I had available in my house was my grandmother’s vintage ice tea pitcher. I was nervous that my pitcher wasn’t going to be able to hold all of the ingredients.

I was happy that the full bottle of wine fit, with room to spare.

If you’re worried that your pitcher might not hold everything, don’t add any ice, and add fewer apples to the recipe. You can always add this at the end when you’re serving the drinks.

Chilling Your Apple Cider Sangria

My sangria tasted mostly like wine, even after stirring. I wanted the flavors to develop as much as possible, so I covered and left it in the fridge overnight.

Serving Your Apple Cider Sangria

Topping the individual servings of sangria with fresh cranberries gives a pop of bright color. However, I would note that the cranberries are bitter, so if you find that your sangria hasn’t sweetened overnight, you can add some sugar before serving.

The Final Product

I love how festive the final servings of apple cider sangria look.

At first I was nervous that maybe the soda and apple cider would make the drink too sweet. It wasn’t, and even the bubbles from the soda weren’t noticeable. The rum was not overwhelming, as I imagined it would be. The apple cider is a great flavor for the holiday season.

Recipe Score

I would Rachel Hollis’s Apple Cider Sangria a 9/10 for the following:

• Recipe Level

  • Easy: All of the ingredients go into the pitcher (except for the garnishes). You don’t have to add them in any particular order since you’re mixing them anyway. My below how-to video is my preference.

• Ingredients

  • Since Rachel’s original recipe doesn’t specify brands of liquors, you can use any white wine, rum, or ginger ale that you like best. This means you may already have the ingredients at home to make this recipe. Otherwise, feel free to try the brands that I used. You shouldn’t have any trouble finding the ingredients for this recipe.

• Prep

  • There is no prep needed to make the sangria, besides having the liquor on hand. However, you should account for the time it spends in the fridge before serving. With sangria, the longer it sits the better the flavor. Rachel recommends at least 30-minutes before serving. I did overnight.

• Flavor

  • 9/10: Rachel Hollis’s apple cider sangria is a light and refreshing drink to have for the holidays. It has sweet and bitter notes (if you happen to eat a cranberry with a sip), while looking festive!

K. Martinelli Makes Rachel Hollis’s Apple Cider Sangria

Looking for More Recipes this Holiday?

Browse all of my recipe videos here.