Red Wine of Summer!

Tinto de Verano translates to “red wine of summer” and it is truly the perfect cocktail to cool things down and enjoy long summer days and nights. Here is a healthier and equally tasty Tinto Verano Recipe:

The Joys of Day Drinking

Day drinking is fantastic for so many reasons. First of all, you don’t have to wait until happy hour or night time to start drinking. Second, you have an opportunity to eat, hydrate, and rest properly after drinking so you won’t have that horrible hangover.

But, there is a strategy in day drinking. You must pace yourself and consider the day a marathon. Otherwise if you drink too fast and too hard, you’ll pass out well before you intended and wanted.

While pace is one part of the plan, choosing your drink wisely is another. Go for lighter drinks in which you can have multiple glasses without getting drunk. And tinto de verano is the perfect choice.

Tinto de Verano is refreshing, light, and perfect for brunch, lunch, the middle of the day, happy hour, and so on. Read Tinto Verano: Origins & How to Order it Today. Then, make the recipe below and enjoy it any time at home!
 

Tinto Verano Recipe

Ingredients

• Spanish red wine (refer to notes below)
• Sparkling lemon water or lemon soda (refer to notes below)
• Ice cubes
• Slices of lemon

 
Note on choosing the wine: Because you are mixing down the wine, it is better to choose a moderate/affordable priced Spanish red wine that’s either a table red or a crianza (which refers to the young age of the Spanish wine). Or, if you have any leftover red wine bottles in your fridge, that works well for this drink, too.

Note on choosing the soda water: In Spain, tinto verano uses what’s locally called “gaseosa” which is not as sweet as 7-Up and Sprite. If you try these sodas, you’ll find the drink becomes way too sweet. So for a healthier spin on the recipe, you can use sparkling lemon water like La Croix or Pellegrino Essenza. Or if you want it a tad sweeter, try Pellegrino Limonata.
 

Directions:

• Fill the glass of your choice with ice. This can be a highball glass or a large goblet which can accommodate ice cubes.
• Fill half the glass with red wine. Top the rest of the glass with sparkling lemon water. (Whether you are pouring glasses or making a pitcher, stick to a 1:1 ratio for red wine to sparkling water.)
• Garnish the cocktail with a slice of lemon
• Salud!

Bonus Recipe!

You can easily change the cocktail from a Tinto Verano to a Red Wine Spritz just by changing the flavor of the sparkling water. Replace the lemon sparkling water with a berry sparkling water. And instead of a lemon slice, add in a few crushed blueberries and blackberries.
 
 

Read more about Tapas:

Tapas History: A Timeline of All the Theories
Patatas Bravas: Food History of Today’s Famous Tapa
Spanish Tortilla History: Tales of Spain’s National Dish
Tinto Verano: Origins & How to Order It Today
10 Best Things to Eat in Madrid
5 of the Best Food Markets and Food Halls in Madrid
Mercado de San Miguel
Platea Madrid
Mercado San Antón
Discovering and Tasting Logroño, Spain
Tasting and Exploring San Sebastián, Spain
Eating the Best Tapas in Taverns and Learning About History in Madrid
Huertas Neighborhood & Food Market Tour
Devour Madrid Food Tours
Dining in Yakitoro – One of Madrid’s Most Vibrant Restaurants
Bodegas Tio Pepe, Jerez Spain
Mushroom Recipe: Spanish-Inspired Oven-Roasted Champiñones
Spanish Tortilla Recipe: Trials, Errors, and Getting It Right
Learn How to Cook Paella in Madrid
 
 
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