Recipe for summer in Spain: cool drinks

A great way to accompany your lunches and dinners is with “tinto de verano” (“summer red wine”), a popular Spanish drink combining red wine with fizzy lemonade. Other options include a delicious jug of sangria, with red wine, chopped fruit, sugar and – depending on the area and the bar – a few special touches such as cinnamon or rum. And if you like the idea of combining wine with other drinks, a favourite with young people is what they call “calimocho” –red wine mixed with cola. Beer lovers should try a “clara”, the Spanish take on shandy – beer with fizzy lemonade, served ice cold. The ideal way to enjoy all these drinks is sitting outdoors at one of the terraces that many Spanish bars and restaurants set up as the good weather arrives (many of them right by the beach).

if you prefer alcohol-free drinks there’s also a wide range of options. One favourite with young and old alike, and very popular all over Spain (particularly in the Region of Valencia) is the creamy drink known as horchata, which is made with water, sugar and tiger nuts. You’ll love the taste, particularly if you drink it accompanied by the long sweet pastries known as fartones, a traditional complement to this drink. And of course you have to try the sorbets, granizados (slushies), fruit juices, lemonade, and leche merengada, a drink made of milk, sugar, eggs, lemon and cinnamon, served ice cold, which is an instant hit with everyone who tries it.