The Best Brandy For Sangria in 2023 (Top 12 Picks)
Last Updated on August 22, 2023 by Lydia Martin
While sangria, a red wine punch flavored drink, can be a pretty simple cocktail, it’s equally simple to mess it up. To make good sangria, you must take note to use quality fresh fruits, good wine, and the best brandy.
We curated a list of the best brandies for sangria for you to use for your next Sangria party.
Top 12 Brandies For The Best Sangria
1. Courvoisier VSOP Cognac
The Courvoisier VS is a relatively young cognac, but the distiller has been around since the French Revolution. They initially traded cognac as a wine and spirits company. This brandy has an excellent reputation that even the great Napoleon Bonaparte visited their establishment himself.
This VSOP brandy is delightfully fruity, made from grapes grown in France’s Fins Bois and Petite Champagne regions, coupled with rich oaky notes.
2. Asbach Original (3-year-old) Brandy
Asbach Original hails from Germany and is a spicy brandy with hints of vanilla and fruits. It is complex yet well-rounded, with burnt sugar and plums at the mid-palate.
The production process of this 130-year-old recipe remains fairly traditional: it is distilled in copper stills and aged for three years in oak casks before bottling.
3. Carlos 1 Solera Gran Reserva
Carlos 1 Solera won silver in the 2015 International Wine and Spirits Competition, proving that this is the best brandy. This Spanish brandy is made from a unique blend of brandies from old sherry casks.
This brandy from Spain gives it a slightly nutty flavor of almonds and walnuts. Smooth vanilla notes and syrupy, overripe fruits greet you on the first sip.
4. El Presidente
El Presidente is the top-selling spirit in Mexico. It is made from grapes in the Hermosillo region and aged for two years in American oak barrels for a well-rounded flavor profile.
Its entrance is sweet, with notes of fruit and vanilla that develop into slightly more bitter burnt caramel and oak for a balanced palate. This is a great brandy for sangria and margarita [1].
Read: Best Type of Wine For Sangria
5. Felipe II Brandy de Jerez
It’s no surprise that Spain has an innate love for brandy — Felipe II proves exactly that. Made from airen and palomino grapes, this is a smooth and versatile brandy that would complement the fruity flavors of a traditional sangria.
Dried strawberries, anise, and peppers are just some exotic notes that would mix well in an authentic Spanish sangria.
6. Laird’s Straight Applejack 86
Laird’s is a straight, well, American apple brandy. One bottle of this best brandy requires 17 pounds of ripe apples. It has the full flavors of baked apples, coupled with cherry, hibiscus, and nougat.
Laird’s works extremely well in a red sangria recipe and in a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned drink.
7. Martell VS Single Distillery
Martell is the realized dream of a man who traveled to France on a whim to study the art of fine cognac production. The distillery is now a family business with over 300 years of experience in the industry.
Martell VS Single Distillery, its tour de force, combines a blend of Eaux de vie from a single distillery to produce a cognac that is well-rounded and balanced in flavor. This French brandy has sweet caramel and vanilla notes upon the first sip, which slowly transitions to nutmeg and cinnamon’s more nuanced woody notes.
It has a refreshingly dry finish.
8. Paul Masson VSOP
Paul Masson is the successful marriage of American and French brandy. This amber-colored cognac is bottled at 80 proof after an aging period of four years. Upon sipping a little brandy, it starts as quite spicy, followed by notes of vanilla and caramel.
It has an unmistakable American oak bourbon barrel aroma that would work extremely well in a sangria drink. It’s hard to imagine that you can get this fine brandy for under $20.
9. Raynal Three Barrels VSOP
Raynal Three Barrels is yet another French cognac that is, surprisingly, not as expensive as it looks. This VSOP brandy is made with premium French grapes, fermented and distilled using a copper pot, and aged in French oak casks for four years.
As a result, this good brandy is well-balanced, crisp, and clean, with fragrant vanilla, raisin, and crisp green grape notes.
10. Soberano 5 Brandy
Soberano is one of the most popular, high-quality brandies in Spain that won’t break the bank. However, don’t let that cheap price tag fool you — this is a bronze medalist at the 2015 International Wine and Spirits Competition!
This fine brandy, made from fermented airen grapes, is aged in American oak barrels for five years before being bottled at 72 proof. It is rich and spicy, with cinnamon and caramel notes.
11. St-Remy XO
St-Remy XO is refined, rich, and complex, thanks to its use of select French wines and oak barrels. The spirit is aged over four years to ensure elegance and roundness, whether it’s sipped neat, on the rocks, or in a classic sangria.
Flavor notes include vanilla, ripe fruits, and honey.
12. Vecchia Romagna Etichetta
Vecchia Romagna has been producing premium Italian brandy for over 200 years. Etichetta is made from fermented Italian Trebbiano grapes, distilled in traditional copper pot stills, and aged three years in small oak casks.
It starts as strong and complex yet remains unbelievably smooth, with notes of cinnamon and coffee. Etichetta has a distinct dryness that would work great alongside the traditional sweetness of sangria.
Read: Top Brandies For Eggnog
Popular Brandy Sangria Recipes
Easy Traditional Red Sangria
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup brandy
- ½ medium apple, chopped
- ½ medium orange, sliced into small pieces
- 3-4 tbsp brown sugar
- ¾ cup orange juice
- 750ml one bottle of Spanish dry red wine
- ice
Instructions:
Add the fruit and sugar to a large jug and muddle to release their natural juices. Add the juice and brandy and muddle some more. Mix wine and stir. Do a quick taste test and adjust according to your preference.
Once done, add ice, and serve in a wine punch bowl. This drink is good for the next 48 hours but is best when served fresh.
Serving: 4
Easy White Sangria
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup apple brandy
- 750 ml bottle of dry, crisp white wine
- 1 medium lime, thinly sliced into rounds
- 1 medium lemon, thinly sliced into rounds
- ¼ cane sugar
- ½ medium green apple, chopped
- 1 medium peach, thinly sliced
- 1 cup strawberries, sliced
- ice
Instructions:
Add lime, lemon, and sugar to a large pitcher and gently crush with a wooden spoon to release their natural juices. Add the brandy and muddle some more. Add the rest of the fruit and wine, and stir to combine. Adjust according to your preference.
Once done, add ice, and serve in a wine punch bowl. You can serve this sangria Blanca as is or top the drink off with sparkling wine and mint.
Serving: 6
Sangria! Sangria!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- ½ cup brandy
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ⅓ cup frozen lemonade concentrate
- ⅓ cup orange juice
- 750 ml bottle of dry red wine
- ½ cup triple sec
- 1 medium lemon, sliced into rounds
- 1 medium orange, sliced into rounds
- 1 medium lime, sliced into rounds
- ¼ cup agave nectar
- 8 maraschino cherries
- club soda
Instructions:
Mix all liquid ingredients (except club soda) in a large pitcher until well-combined. Add the chopped fruit, stir gently, and refrigerate overnight to chill. Add club soda just before serving for that added fizz in the drink.
Serving: 6
Red Wine & Brandy Sangria
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup brandy
- 2 750 ml bottles of red wine (we recommend pinot noir as the best wine for sangria)
- ⅓ cup orange curacao liqueur
- ½ cup simple syrup
- ¼ cup juice (orange)
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1L bottle club soda
- 1 orange, sliced
- 1 lemon, sliced
Instructions:
Add all liquid ingredients (except club soda) into a large pitcher and stir well to combine. Add the oranges and other fruits in, and refrigerate overnight to marry the flavors. Before serving, add club soda to the glass for that extra fizz.
Serving: 24
Peach & Plum Brandy Sangria
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup brandy
- 2 cups white or rose wine
- 1½ cup peach nectar
- 3 medium peaches, sliced
- 6 plums, sliced into quarters
- ice
Instructions:
Pour all liquid ingredients into a large pitcher and stir well to combine. Add the sliced fruits next and stir gently. Refrigerate overnight so all the flavors can marry. Serve with some ice in a glass and a tiny bit of fruit.
Serving: 4
FAQs
Do you have to use brandy in sangria?
No, you don’t have to use brandy in sangria. Technically, it’s not a requirement to use brandy for sangria to be considered a true cocktail, so it’s okay to skip it. Sangria offers such a range that you can substitute good brandy with other liqueurs, like triple sec or Grand Marnier. But, what’s the best way to drink brandy?
What can I use in sangria instead of brandy?
If you don’t have a bottle of brandy, you can use other liquors like rum or whiskey. The important thing to remember is to use sweet spirits, so the taste is complementary to your fruits. Both rum and whiskey share a sweet profile with different brandies.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the best brandy for sangria will be a breeze if you have good, quality ingredients. It’s important to note the key flavors found in each bottle of brandy — whether sweet, woodsy, or spicy — to ensure that they will marry well with the fruits you choose for the cocktail drink.
Remember: if you love the brandy neat, you’ll surely love it in your sangria!
The next time you have a sangria party, whip out this list to take the guesswork out of which is the best brandy for sangria.
Reference:
- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-history-of-the-margarita-57990212/
