10 tinto de verano recipes to feel like you’re on holiday in Andalusia

Do you know about tinto de verano? This refreshing drink with its scarlet hues transports us straight to a terrace in the heart of Barcelona.

Some foods or culinary preparations have the gift of making us travel during a tasting. There are mussels marinière for example, the first bites of which always bring back memories of a seaside holiday. Or barbecue cooking whose smoky smell rhymes with conviviality and relaxation. With its enticing look and its slices of seasonal fruit, this is also the case for tinto de verano. An alcoholic drink straight from Spain, whose name literally means “summer red wine”. It is no wonder that this cocktail invades the terraces of Andalusia every year.

If you’ve never heard of tinto de verano, don’t worry: its recipe is very simple and contains only two ingredients. As a bonus, it keeps very well in the refrigerator, so you might as well prepare a large quantity, so you can take out your carafe on every occasion!

How to make a summer tinto?

To make a tinto de verano, nothing could be simpler. You need red wine and lemonade. Many opt for a sparkling soda with lemon juice, but nothing prevents you from using sparkling water. For the wine, choose a sweet and fruity bottle. As for the quantity, there are no real rules. It’s up to each person’s taste, even if most tinto de verano are generally divided equally between the two ingredients.

Then, you guessed it, just mix everything in a carafe (or a glass depending on the desired quantity), and add or not, slices of fresh fruit. Lemon, grapefruit, apple or orange… The choice is yours! Many recipes also contain a dash of vermouth, flavored wine, or even red Martini. Alcohols to be consumed in moderation, of course.

The tasting

Once your tinto de verano is ready, comes the best part: tasting it. You can serve the drink on its own, or why not, accompanied by Spanish tapas. Some also add mint leaves for an instant fresh effect.

Now that you’ve mastered the art of tinto de verano, here are 10 variations, each more refreshing than the last.

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To be consumed in moderation.