Tinto de Verano / Summertime Red Wine Cooler
This is a light and refreshing summer drink, for which there are no set proportions. Keep a bottle of light red wine in the fridge, along with gaseoso, bottled, sweetened, fizzy lemonade. Pour wine into a tall glass-with or without ice-add gaseoso to taste. A slice of lemon is good, but not essential.
Sangrķa / Red Wine Sangrķa
Serves 8 to 10.
Sangrķa makes a great party drink and can be mixed in large quantities. Choose an inexpensive young red wine with no oak. Use any combination of fruit-strawberries, oranges, apples, pears and grapes are some of the best. (Apples float, oranges sink.) Dilute the sangrķa to taste with fizzy water.
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| A pitcher of Summer Sangria |
- 60 g / 2 oz / ¼ cup sugar
- Strip of orange zest
- 220 ml / 8 fl oz / 1 cup water
- ½ litre / 1 pint / 2 cups chopped or sliced fruit
- 4 tablespoons brandy or liqueur such as Cointreau
- 1 bottle chilled red wine
- ½ litre / 1 pint / 2 1/3 cups chilled soda water
Combine the sugar in a small saucepan with the zest and water. Bring to the boil and simmer 2 minutes. Allow the sugar syrup to cool. Strain it into a pitcher. Discard the orange zest.
Add the fruit and brandy to the pitcher. The fruit can macerate, refrigerated, up to 2 hours. Add the chilled red wine. Immediately before serving, add chilled soda water to taste.
Serve the sangrķa and fruit in glasses or goblets.
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