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I first made this Black Sangria 13 years ago and shared it on Sugar and Charm. It’s still one of my favorite Halloween cocktails! With its deep, dark color and bold fruity flavor, it’s spooky, stunning, and perfect for entertaining. Made with dark red wine, black grapes, plums, and blackberries, this make-ahead drink always steals the show.
Looking for more sangria recipes? Try my Fall Sangria Recipe and Apple Harvest Punch!

Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItI still remember the day I created this recipe—I thought, how fun would it be to use all super dark fruits that look black and make a Halloween sangria? It turned out so good, I’ve made it every year since!
This Black Sangria is the ultimate Halloween party drink: dark, fruity, and incredibly easy to make. Blackberries, black grapes, and plums soak in bold red wine to create a spooky, dramatic color and rich flavor. It’s festive, make-ahead, and always a hit.
Planning a full party menu? Don’t miss our Witches Brew, Pumpkin Margarita, Halloween Lychee Martini, Butterbeer Recipe, and Candy Corn Vodka Shots!
Black Sangria Ingredient Notes
Here’s what you’ll need to make this spooky and delicious sangria. It’s easy to customize and perfect for Halloween entertaining!
- Dark Red Wine: Use a bold, dry red like Cabernet or Zinfandel. The darker the better for that eerie, inky color.
- Brandy: Adds warmth and depth. You can use classic brandy or try blackberry brandy for extra berry flavor.
- Simple Syrup: Sweetens things up! Skip it if your wine is already sweet, or swap with honey or maple syrup.
- Black Plums: These turn almost black as they soak—so moody and festive!
- Black Grapes: Juicy and spooky. Freeze them to use as ice cubes for extra charm.
- Blackberries: Fresh or frozen, they add color and a bold berry punch.
- Sparkling Water: Add right before serving for a little fizz. You can also use sparkling blood orange or pomegranate soda for a twist.
How to Make
Add all the ingredients into a large pitcher.
Give it a good stir with a big spoon to mix everything together.
Pop it in the fridge and let it chill for 1 to 2 hours (or longer!). The longer it rests, the deeper the color—and those plums turn almost black!
Keep it cold in the fridge until ready to serve.
Pour, sip, and enjoy the spooky deliciousness!
Recipe Tips
Let it chill out: This sangria gets better the longer it sits. I like to make it in the morning and let all that dark fruit soak until party time—it turns the plums almost black and tastes amazing.
No ice, no watered-down witches’ brew: Keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve, and skip adding ice to the pitcher. Frozen grapes work great if you want to keep it cool without diluting the magic.
Sweeten to your spooky taste: Give it a quick taste before serving. If it needs a little more sweetness, stir in extra simple syrup or a splash more brandy. No rules here!
Add the fizz last: Wait to pour in the sparkling water or soda until just before serving so you get that fresh, bubbly finish.
More Halloween Cocktail Recipes
Cocktails
Spiked Jolly Rancher Punch
Halloween
Halloween Moscow Mule
Halloween
Halloween Jungle Juice
Vodka
Vampires Kiss Drink
If you’re looking for drinks without alcohol, check out my non-alcoholic Halloween drinks.
And if you make this Black Sangria, I’d love to hear what you think—leave a comment and a star rating below! It seriously makes my day.
Black Sangria Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 bottle dark red wine, any dark red wine, we used Apothic Dark
- 1/4 cup brandy
- 1/4 cup simple syrup
- 3 black plums, washed and sliced
- 1 cup black grapes, washed
- 8 ounces organic blackberries, washed
- 1 cup sparkling water or ginger ale , use ginger ale for a sweeter sangria
Instructions
- Add everything into a pitcher and mix with a large spoon.
- Let it sit in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours. The longer it sits the darker the plums becomes.
- Best to keep sangria in the fridge. Enjoy!!!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If anyone is wondering, you can get the Apothic Dark wine at Total Wine, thank me later 😉
Oh my goodness! I made this for my annual Halloween party this year and it was a HUGE hit. People just loved it. This will become an annual drink for us. Not only is it simply beautiful, but incredibly tasty, also! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
We love this.
Not quite flavorful enough. This sangria was more like wine with fruit in it than a fruit infused wine with fruit pieces. A few people suggested that next time I should cut the blackberries and grapes in half to release more flavor (which was my plan to begin with but I handed the recipe to a friend to make). Another person thought that I should freeze some of the fruit beforehand so that those fruit pieces can act as ice to keep the sangria cool.
How many people does this serve?
It really depends, but we say about 6-8… one serving each.
Two!