Ingredients
Drink
- 150 mlyoung dry red wine, chilled
- 150 mlgaseosa, or lemon soda such as Fanta Limón, chilled
Also
- plenty of ice
- a slice of lemon
Optional
- a splash of vermut, in some bars
- a drop of Angostura
To serve
- a large tumbler or wine glass
- with tapas, in the heat
Directions
- Use a young, cheap, dry red with plenty of fruit and no oak. Red wine served cold is entirely normal here, and a room-temperature bottle makes a flabby drink.
- Put the bottle in the fridge for an hour beforehand.
- Fill it genuinely full of ice rather than adding two cubes. A packed glass stays cold and dilutes slowly, where a few cubes melt at once and give a warm watery drink halfway down.
- Pour the wine over the ice first. Pouring down the side keeps the carbonation in the drink rather than driving it out against the ice.
- Stir it once, gently, and no more.
- Add a slice of lemon to the glass.
- Serve it immediately, while it is cold and lively. It is drunk with tapas, at lunch, and through hot afternoons, and it is treated as a light refreshing drink rather than as a cocktail.
Technique
- Casera is a brand of gaseosa whose name became the generic term.
- Kalimotxo, with cola, is the Basque relative.
- Spaniards drink far more of this than sangria.
Substitutions
- Any cheap young dry red wine.
- Lemonade or soda water with a squeeze of lemon.
Variations
- Made with gaseosa, which is drier.
- Made with lemon soda, which is sweeter.
- Kalimotxo, with cola.
History
Said to have begun at Venta de Vargas in Córdoba in the 1920s, and now outsells sangria among Spaniards.
Frequently asked questions
What is Tinto de verano?
Tinto de verano is a cocktail from Spain: red wine with fizzy lemon soda over plenty of ice; everyday summer refresher. Said to have begun at Venta de Vargas in Córdoba in the 1920s, and now outsells sangria among Spaniards.
How long does Tinto de verano take to make?
Tinto de verano takes 2 min of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes 1 tall glass. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Tinto de verano?
Yes, within limits. Any cheap young dry red wine. Lemonade or soda water with a squeeze of lemon.
What is the most important thing to get right in Tinto de verano?
Fill it genuinely full of ice rather than adding two cubes. A packed glass stays cold and dilutes slowly, where a few cubes melt at once and give a warm watery drink halfway down.
