While I’m waiting for the warmer days to come —still in the middle of winter here —-I wanted to share with you one of my favorite beverages for summer: Spanish tinto de verano.
I know it sounds exotic but there is no mystery behind this drink. A tinto de verano is basically red wine mixed with lemon soda and ice.
As you may know, wine is serious business in Spain. But when you are in the middle of summer with 35ºC outside, the less you want is a cup of dry wine that will warm you even more.
Tinto de verano is the perfect solution, you can taste the wine while you are drinking a refreshing a bubbling beverage in the balcony of a restaurant in Madrid.
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What type of wine is best for tinto de verano?
Use cheap wine. Don’t waste your special wine on a tinto de verano. Remember it’s going to be diluted with sprite.
I like to use dry red wine because if it is too fruity or sweet you may lose the “wine” flavor when you mix it with lemon soda.
The ration that I like to use — and the most used in Spain — is 1:1. This means 1 part of wine for 1 part of the sprite. You can play with this ratio to accommodate your taste.
Brief story: In my first trip to Spain I hated wine, so I drank tinto de verano instead in the restaurants we visited. But the truth is that what I drank can barely be called tinto de verano because it was like 2 drops of wine for a glass of sprite.
Now, If you want to give it an extra punch to this tinto de verano you can add a green apple diced to get strong sangria vibes.
I really love a big glass of tinto de verano while I’m eating some tapas:
Spanish tapa’s recipes:
I hope you enjoy this Spanish drink and I see you in the next recipe!
- 500 ml red wine
- 500 ml lime-lemon soda (sprite or 7up)
- 1 granny smith apple (any green apple)
- Ice
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In a big jug mix the red wine with the sprite. Add ice to taste and the peeled diced apples. Serve while is cold.
I’m Maria and I love cooking—and mostly EATING—food from all around the world. I’ve been sharing my abuela’s secret Latin-American recipes for the last 7 years with the world on this blog. I’ve been a full-time food blogger for many years and I’m always trying new delicious meals that don’t require a culinary degree or a Michelin-star chef. I also love traveling, cats, and knitting.