Mason jar sangria is a fun and hands-off summer cocktail – perfect for your 4th of July parties!

I’m comin’ in hot with a cocktail recipe that is simple and perfect for your summer festivities! It’s my lazy girl take on classic sangria and I am going totally basic and serving it up in mason jars.

In all seriousness, the jars make this a breeze as a hostess because you can make them ahead of time, screw the lids on and throw them over some ice for a fun presentation and built in glass (no extra cups required).

The mason jars I love (affiliate link) for this recipe have a wide mouth and are the perfect size for a single-serve cocktail. Stock up and use them for everything from overnight oats to salad dressings.

Sangria is simple to make, but I swapped out some ingredients to make it even more approachable. The patriotic colors make it fun for 4th of July parties, but of course you could serve this all summer long.

Key Ingredients for Mason Jar Sangria

Wine

I went red because I prefer red sangria over other variations, but you can use white or rosé too. If you switch up the wine, just think about the other flavors and make ingredient adjustments accordingly. In terms of which type of wine to use, any cabernet, merlot or shiraz should work just fine; it really comes down to your taste preferences (sweet or dry). My suggestion is to go for an inexpensive bottle since you will be mixing it with other things anyway. This is not the time to splurge on that fancy one you’ve been eyeing!

Juice

A traditional sangria typically has orange juice, but the thought of drinking a glass of orange juice in the hot sun is not super appealing to me so I went for lemonade. I knew the flavor would pair nice with the fruit I chose, and I often have this Simply Lemonade on hand in the summer so it was the practical choice. Many sangrias also include some sort of sugar or sweetener, but since lemonade is plenty sweet, I omitted that component for taste and simplicity.

Liquor

I swapped in whisky for the more traditional brandy because I hate having to buy something I won’t use in anything else and brandy is one of these. But use whatever you like. Vodka would probably work too!

Fruit

The options for fruit are endless. In the past I have used anything from oranges to mangos to melon in sangria and it always turns out great. To keep the patriotic theme going I went red (strawberries), white (apple) and blue, er… black? (blackberries). The lemon pictured above is for the garnish but some citrus is always a nice addition. I have also seen some people get really clever and cut the apples in a star shape for the 4th of July but I’m not that cutesy or patient. If you have it in you to do that part, I think it would be a hit!

Bubbles

I chose sparkling water because again, I always have it on hand. You could also use lemon-lime soda, basic club soda or even prosecco if you want to get fancy. The bubbles makes all the difference though so be sure not to skip this step. Remember to wait on adding anything carbonated until just before serving since it will go flat if it sits for several hours.