Fall-Inspired Pumpkin Pomegranate Sangria Recipe

 "White port and mead are two of my favorite boozy beverage accompaniments for fall," says developer Patterson Watkins, telling us that one of her favorite seasonal drinks is white port and tonic with a squeeze of orange. This got her thinking about what other fall flavors the port would pair with, and the idea for this autumnal pumpkin-pomegranate sangria was born. When white port proved to be in short supply where she shopped, she made the serendipitous discovery that her other fall favorite, mead, would work just as well in this recipe.

Watkins describes this drink as "bright and bubbly, with a nice balance of apple, pumpkin spice, and citrus." Thanks to the pumpkin syrup (homemade, and so much tastier than anything you can buy in the store), it's on the sweeter side for a sangria. The lemon and orange juice, however, add a little sourness that helps make for a perfectly balanced drink, as do the pomegranates and tart Granny Smith apples used as a garnish, all resulting in a sweet, pumpkin-forward drink with just the right amount of acidic notes.

To make the sangria, you'll need mead or white port, sparkling apple juice, oranges, lemons, a Granny Smith apple, and some pomegranate arils. You'll also be flavoring it with homemade pumpkin syrup made from pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon sticks, and star anise pods.

Place the pumpkin puree, sugar, water, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, cinnamon sticks, and star anise in a medium saucepan. Whisk to combine.

Bring the pumpkin syrup mixture to a low simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, cook for 5 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool at room temperature.

Once the pumpkin syrup has cooled, fill a large pitcher halfway with ice.

Add the orange peel, lemon peel, sliced apple, and pomegranate arils to the pitcher.

Add the orange juice, lemon juice, mead, sparkling apple juice, and pumpkin syrup to the pitcher.

Stir to combine the sangria.

Divide the sangria between glasses, spooning out some of the fruit from the pitcher to garnish.

The reason why this recipe calls for white port or mead is because both of these beverages have flavor profiles that pair well with the other fall seasonings, such as notes of baking spice, citrus, and vanilla. They also have a sufficiently strong taste so as not to get drowned out by pumpkin syrup and apple juice in the same way a lighter wine might.

That being said, you can always substitute a darker, barrel-aged port or a different type of fortified wine such as marsala, madeira, or sherry for the white port, while honey wine could take the place of mead. A fruity apple wine or hard cider would also work in this sangria, while you could turn the drink into a boozy punch by using rum or whiskey. In this case, however, we'd suggest using just 4 to 6 ounces of liquor while bumping up the apple juice to 18 ounces. You can also make an alcohol-free sangria by using the whole bottle of sparkling cider and omitting the booze altogether.

Many drink recipes that call for flavored simple syrups will leave you with leftovers, but in this one, you'll be pouring the whole batch of pumpkin syrup into the sangria.  Still, you may want to make a double batch, since pumpkin syrup can be used for so much more. If you're a PSL fan, you'll love it in your coffee, while it can also be added to tea or hot chocolate for some fun fall flavor.

You can also cook this pumpkin syrup down until it reduces by about half. This would result in a thicker sauce perfect for drizzling over pancakes, waffles, or ice cream –- top a bowl of butter pecan with chopped apples and walnuts and pour on the pumpkin syrup for the ultimate autumnal ice cream sundae. If you're a fan of sweet and savory flavor combos, you might even want to use this pumpkin syrup as a glaze for grilled chicken, ribs, or roast pork.