Summer’s coming and we want to drink something lighter. Admit it, you’ve got a case of 2-Buck Chuck in the closet and you’re wondering if it will cellar well until next fall. The Spanish have that one all figured out.
Tinto de verano: the red wine of summer. The term refers to a mixture of red wine with various carbonated beverages, spiked with lemon. Forget sangria; not only is tinto de verano a no-sweat version of this summer classic, but it’s also refreshingly delicious, and can be varied to suit one’s taste.
Beer gets the same treatment in Spain, mixed half-and-half with sparkling lemon soda – Fanta limon is preferred here – and the resulting mix christened a ‘clara.’ The term refers to the white of a raw egg, precisely the substance that a clara resembles, at least in color.
While you’re sipping a tinto de verano on a hot summer (or spring) day, you can remind yourself that you’re still getting your antioxidant quotient but cutting your alcohol consumption by half. Here are a couple of recipes.
TINTO DE VERANO
One-half liter of cheap red wine
One-half liter of sparkling lemon or lemon-lime soda, or tonic water, or sparkling mineral water
Dash of red Vermouth (to taste; optional)
One lemon, sliced
Mix ingredients and serve over ice.
CALIMOCHO
Pour half a glass of cheap red wine; top with Coca-Cola. Add lemon slices and ice and serve cold.
Thanks barcelonajane.blogspot.com