Carrabba’s Blackberry Sangria Recipe

When we’re talking about Carrabba’s beverages, Blackberry Sangria will always be a hit.

It is classic Italian wine and liquor, with a delightful flavor that goes perfectly with the hot summer season or as a comforting Friday night drink.

Although Carrabba’s Blackberry Sangria is quite popular, it is on their specialized list of beverages, so not everyone has a chance to try it.

And with many variations of this blackberry sangria recipe, it might be hard to find the one that perfectly matches the rich flavors of Carrabba’s Sangria.

But we have the best Carrabba’s Blackberry Sangria recipe, just for you.

(And if you’re looking for a non-alcoholic alternative, we recommend trying this Kringle Berry Blitz Mocktail.)

How to Make Carrabba’s Blackberry Sangria

While the regular Sangria recipe needs just a few ingredients, it is super easy to scale up.

The recipe calls for dry red wine, orange juice, fruit syrup, and a little bit of brandy. Since originally sangria was a Spanish cocktail, it makes sense to use the Spanish dry red wine. And though we recommend going with the Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon also works well.

Let’s see all the ingredients we’ll need for the famous Blackberry Sangria.

Ingredients:

(4 servings)

• ⅓ cup water
• Blackberry simple syrup
• 750 ml dry red wine
• ½ cup brandy
• ⅔ cup granulated white sugar
• 24 ounces of ginger ale
• 1 lime cut into thin slices
• 1 lemon cut into thin slices
• 2 medium oranges
• 4 ounces slightly sliced blackberries
• Ice

Instructions:

Once you try it, you won’t be able to get enough of this Blackberry Sangria.

However, note that it is not that simple to prepare. You’ll need around 2.5 hours—but the time is worth all the effort.

Although sangria is a fun cocktail to enjoy at happy hour, it can be loaded with sugars.

It tends to have a higher sugar content than other cocktails or a simple glass of wine, between all the juice, syrup, and fruits.

So, it’s fine if you want to cut it down a little by using a zero sugar syrup or juice that has no additives, like Santa Cruz.

Moreover, you can always kick up the Carrabba’s Red Sangria Recipe by adding a secret ingredient.

Intrigued?

We’ll cover that in the process.

Step 1:

Prepare the blackberry syrup; this will add the main flavor boost to the sangria recipe.

Pour the water into the saucepan. Then add the granulated white sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Keep boiling until the sugar has melted completely and you can see clear water.

Step 2:

Add the blackberries and lower the heat to below the simmering point. Cook the blackberries for at least 10 minutes and turn off the stove when they get mushy and slightly soft. Let it chill at room temperature.

Step 3:

Sieve the blackberry syrup into a small bowl once it’s cold enough to handle. Put the bowl in the fridge for about 10 minutes after sieving.

Step 4:

Take a mason jar or pitcher. Add the red dry wine, brandy, and blackberry syrup, and stir.

Step 5:

Add the fruits: blackberries, lime and lemon slices, and pieces of orange.

Cover with a plastic wrap or lid and let it sit overnight so the fruits can infuse entirely into the wine. It will help spread the fruity punch.

Step 6:

Take the Collin glasses and add 1–2 ice cubes. Pour your Carrabba’s Blackberry Sangria and add some ginger ale to adjust the flavor.

As a secret ingredient, you can add hints of vanilla. It will add a sweeter and softer flavor to the red wine and citrus fruits.

Just add a tablespoon of vanilla flavor and your Carrabba’s Blackberry will take a completely new turn.

Ingredient Substitution

The Carrabba’s Blackberry Sangria is an alcohol drink customized with fruity and citrusy flavors. However, with the variety of sangria recipes, you can always tweak the recipe a little to whip up a new sangria mix every time you feel like it.

So, consider these substitutes for your Blackberry Sangria to get a different taste.

Whiskey

While brandy is quite optional in this Sangria Recipe, you may also swap it up with any other strong alcohol you prefer. Whiskey, for example, is a great alternative to brandy.

It has a stronger, distinct alcohol flavor, while also not being so fruity, so it might change the flavors of your sangria creation—but only slightly, as you still got the fresh blackberries and syrup to balance the taste.

For the best results, use an equal amount of whiskey for brandy, in a 1:1 ratio.

Sprite

Sprite is a colorless, carbonated, lemon-lime flavored drink. Just what we need for our Carrabba’s Blackberry Sangria drink.

Besides, Sprite might even include less sugar than other sodas. So, it’s a perfect alternative to ginger ale.

The main difference between the two is that the Sprite doesn’t contain any ginger content, whereas the ginger ale has ginger flavoring. Still, it is a decent substitute for the ale our recipe calls for.

Just replace an equal amount of ginger ale with Sprite, and add a little bit of ginger syrup to maintain the flavors of the drink.

What to Serve with Carrabba’s Blackberry Sangria

The sweetness and summery quality of this fruity Blackberry Sangria may make it hard to figure out what to pair it with. In fact, it pairs very well with a variety of food.

Still, you have to consider the sweetness level of this drink, so as to not pair it with too-sweet dishes.

We know what works best. Just keep on reading for the best Sangria sides.

Chili

The cool sweetness of Sangria plays well with the spiciness of Mexican, Spanish, and Thai dishes.

So, you can serve it with a chorizo-based dish, stuffed peppers, or even a spicy yellow curry.

Still, from our experience, the best pairing is with the spicy chili. The touch of brandy in your Blackberry Sangria will add an extra kick that balances against the spices of the chili.

From the moment you try, serving chili with a glass of flavorful sangria will become a tradition.

Steak

Since the red wine goes well with red meat, you can never go wrong pairing Carrabba’s Blackberry Sangria with any kind of steak: fried or grilled.

Though there are certainly some exceptions to this rule, fruity Blackberry Sangria is the best choice for the tender steak.

The bolder sangria flavors make it a worthy anchor to the juicy grilled taste of steak.

To play with the Spanish roots of Sangria, you can even top your steak off with some Mediterranean toping for a classic complement.

How to Store Carrabba’s Blackberry Sangria

Nothing tastes better on a clear summer day than a refreshing Sangria.

However, due to the ingredients of our homemade Carrabba’s Blackberry Sangria, you can’t expect it to last as long as the store-bought bottle.

So, you might be interested in how to store leftover Sangria to enjoy it to the fullest without worries. Luckily, we know how.

Store Carrabba’s Blackberry Sangria in a Fridge

The consistency and shelf life of your sangria play a significant part in the preparation process.

The main idea is to let the fruits stay in the fridge for around 12–24 hours before drinking.

However, you have to keep an eye on the expiration date of the fruits and their freshness.

So, store Blackberry Sangria in the fridge for no longer than 5 days in a perfectly sealed bottle. Otherwise, it will just get stalky and funky.

Store Carrabba’s Blackberry Sangria in a Freezer

Freezing is a prolonged solution if you don’t want to let your Sangria be affected by any external factors.

But since we’ve got fruits here, the process is quite important.

Note that the fruit ingredients degrade much faster than the wine.

So, a good rule of thumb is to separate the fruit ingredients from the Carrabba’s Blackberry Sangria during freezing.

Prepare an airtight plastic container or a water bottle with an airtight lid.

Pour the Blackberry Sangria preparation into the container and leave a few inches of space for the liquid to expand. Stick it in the freezer and keep it for up to 3 months.