Sangria is a popular wine-based drink that originated in Spain. It is often served at parties and get-togethers as a refreshing, fruity punch. Sangria is typically made by mixing red wine with chopped fruit, juice, spices, and a sweetener like sugar. While sangria is meant to be served chilled, many people wonder if it will go bad if left out at room temperature.
Does Sangria Need to Be Refrigerated?
In general, sangria does need to be refrigerated for both food safety and quality purposes. The red wine and fruit juices in sangria make it prone to growing mold and bacteria if left unrefrigerated. Properly stored in the refrigerator, sangria will keep for 3-5 days. At room temperature, sangria may only last for a day before going bad.
Here are some guidelines for refrigerating sangria:
- Store sangria in a covered pitcher or bottle in the refrigerator. An airtight container prevents evaporation and oxidation which can affect the taste.
- For the best quality, sangria should be chilled for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Leftover sangria should be transferred to a sealed container and refrigerated. It will generally keep for 3-5 days.
- Don’t leave sangria sitting out at room temperature for more than a couple hours. The fruit may spoil and the alcohol may start to evaporate.
So in summary, sangria does need to be kept refrigerated for food safety and to maintain proper taste and alcohol content. Room temperature sangria may go bad within a day.
Signs Sangria Has Gone Bad
If you’ve left a pitcher of sangria out overnight, how can you tell if it’s gone bad? Here are some signs to look for:
- Appearance: Mold may start growing on the surface of the sangria or on the fruit. The sangria may also look more murky and separated.
- Smell: Rancid, sour, or alcoholic odors indicate spoiled sangria.
- Taste: Flat, vinegar-like, or bitter flavors are signs sangria has turned.
- Fizz: Sangria loses its carbonation and fizziness when left out.
- Fruit: The fruit pieces may become slimy, mushy, or discolored if sangria has gone bad.
Trust your senses – if sangria smells or tastes off, it’s best to discard it. When in doubt, don’t take risks with food safety.
How Long Does Sangria Last?
How long sangria lasts depends on storage conditions:
| Storage Method | Sangria Shelf Life |
|---|---|
| Refrigerated | 3-5 days |
| At room temperature | 1-2 days |
As you can see, refrigeration extends the shelf life of sangria significantly. The alcohol and fruit make sangria prone to spoilage at room temp.
Does Sangria Go Bad Faster After Being Opened?
Yes, sangria will go bad faster after being opened and exposed to air. Oxygen can encourage mold growth and oxidation reactions. An opened bottle or pitcher of sangria should be consumed within 2-3 days when refrigerated.
How to Store Sangria Properly
Follow these tips for storing sangria to extend its shelf life:
- Make sangria in small batches instead of large volumes if you won’t finish it quickly.
- Refrigerate sangria right after mixing – don’t leave it out before serving.
- Use a tightly sealed bottle or pitcher. Mason jars also work well.
- Ensure sangria is properly chilled before serving for best flavor.
- When serving, keep sangria chilled in a pitcher on ice or in a punch bowl.
- Don’t mix old sangria with fresh – this can introduce bacteria.
- Replace the fruit in sangria daily for best quality and food safety.
With proper refrigeration and an airtight container, sangria can keep for 3-5 days after being opened. Discard any leftovers after that time.
Can You Save Sangria That Has Been Left Out?
If you’ve accidentally left sangria sitting on the counter overnight, it’s best to discard it. There is no way to safely “save” sangria once it has been left at room temperature too long. The alcohol does not make it impervious to spoilage.
Here are some risks if you try to save sangria that’s sat out:
- Bacteria like mold and salmonella can grow, making it unsafe to drink.
- Yeasts can ferment the fruit further, creating carbonation or alcohol.
- The wine oxidizes and takes on a vinegar-like taste.
- The alcohol evaporates, changing the sangria’s profile.
It’s simply not worth getting sick over. In the future, be sure to refrigerate and finish sangria promptly.
How to Tell If Sangria Can Be Saved
If you’re not sure if a batch of sangria is still good, here are some ways to check:
- Look: Examine closely for any fuzz, mold, or slimy fruit.
- Smell: Give it a sniff test for off odors like sourness or alcohol.
- Taste a small sip: Flavor should be fruity and slightly sweet, not vinegary, bitter, or flat.
- Check the fruit: Fruit should still be firm with no white film or mushiness.
- Observe alcohol content: Sangria shouldn’t taste noticeably less alcoholic if it’s still good.
When examining sangria, if anything seems off from your initial batch, it’s safest to discard the entire pitcher. Don’t take risks with potentially spoiled beverages.
Does Adding Alcohol Help Save Sangria?
Unfortunately, adding more alcohol does not make sangria last longer or prevent spoilage. Higher alcohol levels do not stop mold growth or dangerous pathogens. And added alcohol won’t reverse oxidation that makes sangria taste stale and vinegary.
Here’s why adding more alcohol can’t save sangria:
- Most sangria is only 7-12% alcohol. Not high enough to act as a preservative.
- Extra alcohol doesn’t stop yeast and molds from growing.
- Oxidation and loss of carbonation still occur.
- May result in an unbalanced, overly boozy taste.
If your sangria has been left out too long, it’s best to discard it no matter how much extra alcohol you might add. Enjoy a fresh batch instead of risking foodborne illness.
Does Cooking Sangria Extend Its Shelf Life?
Cooking methods like simmering or baking sangria do not make it last longer either. Heat may destroy some bacteria, but also evaporates the alcohol and cooks the tender fruit. Here’s what happens when you cook sangria:
- Alcohol evaporates, lowering ABV.
- Fruit becomes mushy and loses texture.
- Liquid reduces down, changing flavor profile.
- Not hot enough temperatures to kill all bacteria.
- Yeasts and molds can still grow after cooling.
Cooking sangria may give an illusion of safety by killing some germs. But it won’t stop future mold growth. Refrigeration is still required after cooking. In most cases, cooking ruins sangria’s fresh, fruity qualities.
What About Freezing?
Freezing sangria does extend its shelf life for several months. The cold temperatures prevent microbial growth. However, freezing and thawing also affects the texture and flavor:
- Fruit textures change, becoming mushier.
- Wine oxidizes faster when frozen.
- Carbonation is lost upon thawing.
- Freezing concentrates the alcohol as liquid separates.
- Thawed sangria needs to be consumed immediately.
For short term storage, refrigeration is best. Freezing can keep sangria for up to 3 months, but expect some quality changes when thawed.
Tips for Making Sangria That Lasts
The key to sangria with a longer shelf life is proper preparation and storage:
- Use fresh, high quality ingredients – especially the fruit and juice.
- Add spirits like brandy to help preserve it.
- Avoid premixed bottled sangrias which often have preservatives.
- Refrigerate sangria immediately after mixing.
- Store in an airtight container, not just a pitcher with plastic wrap.
- Never leave sangria out for more than 2 hours before refrigerating.
- Replace the fruit daily as it soaks up liquid and gets mushy.
Making sangria in small quantities and minimizing its exposure to air and warmth will give you the most days to enjoy it before it goes bad. But remember – once left out, sangria cannot be salvaged or saved.
FAQs
Can you get sick from bad sangria?
Yes, you can get sick from drinking sangria that has spoiled, especially if mold or bacteria have grown in it. Consuming bad sangria puts you at risk for food poisoning. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever.
How do restaurants serve sangria?
Restaurants serve sangria from special chilled pitchers. They often prepare individual glasses per order rather than serving from a communal batch. Leftover sangria is discarded daily. Servers won’t leave sangria pitchers sitting out for long periods.
Does sangria have wine in it?
Yes, sangria traditionally contains wine as the main alcoholic ingredient. Spanish red wines like Rioja or Tempranillo are commonly used. The wine provides the sangria’s distinctive red color.
Is it better to use whole fruit or juice?
Whole fresh fruit is best for sangria in terms of flavor and appeal. Fruit juice can also be used but may lend a flatter, less fresh taste. For food safety, fruit should be refreshed daily.
Can you make sangria without wine?
Sangria recipes without wine may use brandy, cider, soda, or juice as the liquid base instead. But non-wine sangrias lose the classic flavor profile. It’s not considered authentic sangria without red wine.
The Bottom Line
Sangria does need proper refrigeration to prevent it from spoiling and going bad. The wine, fruit, juice, and sugar make an ideal environment for microbial growth when left unrefrigerated. For the best quality and safety, sangria should be consumed within 3-5 days of being prepared if stored in the fridge. Any sangria left out overnight or longer should be discarded, as there is no safe way to salvage or rehabilitate bad sangria.