How to Create a Sangria Bar for Your Next Party

Make this centuries-old Spanish punch even more festive with a self-serve bar. Friends can ladle some spirit-infused fruit into a glass, add some wine, and finish with a splash of soda. Using just-ripe produce means firm bites with a kick at the bottom of your glass. (Yes, the fruit is meant to be eaten.) Pick one of our suggested pairings below—each works with white, red, or rosé—or serve all three, and let everyone mix as they wish. Salud!

Tips for Sangria Success

1. The liquor-soaked fruit can be made a day ahead. At party time, set out chilled bottles of wine and cans of seltzer or citrus soda (we like San Pellegrino) for a cold, fizzy finish.

2. To prevent watered-down sips, swap in frozen fruit, like peach wedges, halved strawberries, and whole grapes, for ice. Freeze them for at least four hours before serving.

3. Choose something you'd be happy to drink on its own, and think crisp: Fruit adds natural sweetness to sangria, so counterbalance it with dry whites and rosés, and full-bodied reds.

Red Sangria

Fruit: Grapefruit + Lime + Strawberries

Booze: Orange Liqueur + Vodka or Tequila + Red Wine

Try it with: Aletta Garnacha—it has medium body and a peppery finish.

Pink Sangria

Fruit: Peaches + Nectarines + Plums

Booze: Cherry Liqueur + Vodka or Tequila + Rosé

Try it with: Herdade do Rocim Mariana rosé—it's juicy and dry, with berry and plum notes.

White Sangria

Fruit: Pineapple + Kiwi + Honeydew Melon + Grapes

Booze: Elderflower Liqueur + Vodka or Tequila + White Wine

Try it with: Avinyó Petillant Vi D'Agulla—it's crisp, floral, and subtly effervescent.