Low-Sugar Citrus, Strawberry, and Rosemary Sangria Recipe

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 04/15/22
Tested by
Laurel Randolph
Photo of Laurel Randolph
Tested by Laurel Randolph
A fervid lover of the culinary arts and all things Instant Pot, Laurel has been writing about food for 10 years. One of her cookbooks was the #2 cookbook of 2017.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Low-Sugar Citrus, Strawberry, and Rosemary Sangria in glasses and a pitcher

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Chill: 8 hrs
Total: 8 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 8 to 10 servings
Yield: 1 1/2 quarts

Sangria is a favorite summertime beverage to share among friends, but sangria recipes are often loaded with sugar. With a few quick changes, you can cut sugar and carbs, and still enjoy a tasty party beverage. Flavored with grapefruit, lime, strawberries, and rosemary, this low-sugar sangria recipe has a bright, refreshing taste with a floral touch that's sure to please.

Sweet wine has more sugar, so choosing a dry wine is your first step. For this recipe, a rosé works beautifully because the pink wine's best pairings are grapefruit, lime, and strawberries. The driest rosés are French Provençal wines or those that use dry red wine grapes, such as Grenache, Cinsault, and Shiraz. White wine is a good alternative.

Fruits also contain natural sugars, but citrus fruits and berries have less sugar than other fruits. Rather than squeeze the fruit juice into the sangria, the fruits are left in slices to slowly infuse the punch with flavor overnight. Also, there's no sugar in regular vodka and most sparkling water. While the sangria may not be totally sugar-free, it has less than traditional sangrias without sacrificing flavor.

"This dry but fruity sangria is sure to quench your thirst. The wine and vodka really pick up a lot of flavor from the fruit as it chills overnight, so don't skip this step. It's a great option for those looking to watch their sugar intake." —Laurel Randolph

Low-Sugar Citrus, Strawberry, and Rosemary Sangria Recipe/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 (750-milliliter) bottle dry rosé wine, or white wine

  • 1 cup vodka

  • 1 cup thinly-sliced strawberries

  • 2 medium limes, sliced into thin wheels, more for garnish

  • 2 medium grapefruits, sliced into thin wheels

  • 1 (4-inch) sprig fresh rosemary, more for garnish

  • 1 1/2 cups sparkling water, chilled

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Low-Sugar Citrus, Strawberry, and Rosemary Sangria ingredients

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. In a pitcher, add the wine, vodka, strawberries, lime, and grapefruit slices, and rosemary sprig. Stir well to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

    Wine, vodka, strawberries, lime, and grapefruit slices, and rosemary sprig in a pitcher

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Just before serving, add chilled sparkling water.

    Low-Sugar Citrus, Strawberry, and Rosemary Sangria with sparkling water

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Pour into glasses (over ice, if desired), ensuring each glass gets strawberry and lime slices, leaving the grapefruit slices behind. Garnish with a lime wheel and a sprig of rosemary and serve.

    Low-Sugar Citrus, Strawberry, and Rosemary Sangria in glasses and a pitcher

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Tips

  • Sangria is best left to chill to marry the flavors. You can make this 24 hours in advance, but overnight is ample time. If you're in a pinch, give it at least two hours and serve it over ice.
  • Carbonate your own water or read the labels on sparkling water to ensure it doesn't contain sugar (especially flavored water). Club soda and seltzer are usually sugar-free and good substitutes in this recipe.

Recipe Variations

  • Switch to a dry white wine if you like. Chardonnay, pinot grigio, and Viognier are among the driest.
  • Add sweetness without sugar with a sugar-free syrup; stir in 1/4 cup and more if needed. You can use allulose monk fruit sweetener in place of sugar to make a quick simple syrup at home.
  • Skip the grapefruit or switch to oranges or lemons. Other berries, particularly raspberries, are a good substitution for strawberries.
  • Add extra flavor by using an infused vodka. It's best to infuse your own because many commercially-flavored vodkas include sugar.
  • Light rum is a good alternative to vodka, and brandy is a little darker but could work, too.

How Strong Is the Low-Sugar Sangria?

Even with the vodka, this sangria recipe is equivalent to the average wine. After chilling, its alcohol content will fall around 12 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) when served without ice.

Which Wine Has the Least Sugar and Carbs?

Dry wines have less sugar than sweet wines because they have fewer residual sugars. You can cut the sugar in any sangria recipe with this single ingredient. Typically, you can get away with cheaper wines in sangria because of all the extra flavors, but those also tend to have more sugar. Spend a little more and use the recipe's recommendations for rosé and white wines. For a red wine sangria, select a bottle of cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, or syrah (or shiraz).

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
178 Calories
0g Fat
19g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 178
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 5mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 19g 7%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 54mg 270%
Calcium 47mg 4%
Iron 0mg 3%
Potassium 262mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)