How To Make a Tinto de Verano in America

a tinto de verano at El Sardinero, Chipiona, Cadiz

Virtually everyone who has been in Spain in the summer can tell you how wonderful a tinto de verano is on a hot afternoon. Tinto de Verano, or summer wine in English, is the refreshing concoction Spaniards drink with lunch just before taking a siesta. I had one with every lunch the summer I was staying in Chipiona, Cadiz.

In Spain the drink is made with a cheap red wine, the cheaper the better, and Casera brand soda. Some people like lemon flavor Casera, some prefer the blanco. I like a tinto con limon, with lemon. When you go to a bar in Spain and say "un tinto de verano, con limon por favor" You know that you'll get it in a tall, skinny glass with three ice cubes, no more, no less. They'll pour some red wine in, some casera limon, and maybe you'll get a lemon wedge for garnish. It'll probably cost around €1.50 or so.

So you're back home from Spain and you wan't a tinto on a hot August afternoon? Tough luck unless you know where to find some Casera. Luckily we have a soda here in America that tastes a bit like Casera limon. It's Squirt! I never drink Squirt by itself, but with wine it's just like a Spanish tinto de verano.

So grab a red wine, any one with do, but I recommend the Carlo Rossi Burgundy. It tastes just like those cheap Spanish wines, and why waste a good bottle of wine on a mixed drink right? Add some ice and the Squirt and you're good to go. Thank me later.