Tinto de Verano – Cooler Than Sangria

Facebook
X
LinkedIn
Email

This article contains affiliate links. We may receive compensation if you make a purchase using one of these links at no additional cost to you. See our Disclaimers and Terms of Use for more information.

Pinterest Hidden ImagePinterest Hidden Image

Spain’s Tnto de Verano is cooler than Sangria. Learn how to make and drink the refreshing red wine cocktail at home.


Stirring a Tinto de Verano Cocktail
Image: ©2foodtrippers

With a name that literally translates to red wine of summer, it’s not hyperbole to refer to Tinto de Verano as a quintessential summer sipper. But it’s not just its name that makes this Spanish red wine cocktail ideal for the warm weather months. You’ll understand after one sip although its practically impossible to stop sipping Tinto de Verano until the glass is empty. Consider yourself warned.

Discover more summer cocktails.

Tinto de Verano on Ledge
Sipping Tinto de Verano outside is one of summer’s greatest joys. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Tinto de Verano is a cocktail that’s crafted with just two ingredients, red wine and lemon-lime soda, in a 1:1 ratio. A handful of ice cubes and an orange wedge or wheel complete the easy Tinto de Verano recipe.

You may be wondering if this Spanish cocktail is similar to Spain’s more famous wine-based cocktail – Sangria. As we learned during a fun Seville food tour, the simple answer is yes. But that’s not the full answer.

Tinto de Verano Glasses in Seville
Once we sipped our first glasses of Tinto de Verano in Seville, it was only a matter of time before we crafted and sipped them at home. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Both of Spain’s popular Spanish wine-based cocktails are fun to sip on a hot afternoon or while eating tapas. However, unlike Sangria, Tinto de Verano is pain-free to craft at home.

You don’t have to chop up fruit or wait for the flavors to combine when you whip up a glass or pitcher of Tinto de Verano. In other words, it may take you more time to open a bottle of wine than to craft the ruby red drink.

Discover more red cocktails.

History of Tinto de Verano

Tinto de Verano with White Lace and Red Fan
Image: ©2foodtrippers

While Spain’s Tinto de Verano is ready for its moment in the sun, it’s far from a new or trendy tipple. Spaniards have been sipping the delightful drink on verandas and at tapas bars for more than a century.

Legend has it that a Cordoba bartender crafted the original Tinto de Verano more than a century ago with equal parts of red wine and Gaseosa, i.e. lemon soda. Today, many mixologists replace Gaseosa with Fanta, Seven-Up or Sprite while some use lemonade instead.

Tinto de Verano Ingredients
Image: ©2foodtrippers

The Tinto de Verano ingredient list includes the following items:

  • Red Wine (chilled) – You don’t need to buy a special bottle of wine to craft this recipe. We keep to theme by using Spanish wines like our favorite, El Pacto, a moderately priced La Rioja crianza produced with 100% tempranillo grapes. Your favorite red wine will work just fine even it it’s not Spanish.
  • Lemon-Lime Soda (chilled) – Any lemon-lime soda will suffice. We typically use 7-Up because it’s easy to find where we live. Another option would be to make soda from scratch using fizzy water, lemon juice and simple syrup.
  • Orange Wedge – Garnish
  • Ice Cubes

Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.

Tinto de Verano and Orange
Image: ©2foodtrippers

As we alluded above, the most difficult part of crafting this red wine cocktail is opening the bottle of red wine. Once you accomplish that task, the first step is to fill a glass half way with ice.

Adding Ice to Tinto de Verano Glass
Image: ©2foodtrippers

Next, pour both liquids into the glass.

Gently stir until the liquids are combined.

Pro Tip
Don’t overstir or you’ll lose the soda’s fizz.

Once you garnish the Tinto de Verana with an orange wheel or wedge, it’s time to start sipping.

Crafted Tinto de Verano
Image: ©2foodtrippers

While we’ve chosen to honor the simplicity of the original Tinto de Verano recipe, you may want to jazz it up a bit with one of the following variations:

  • Add a splash of vermouth.
  • Replace the lemon-lime soda with lemonade.
  • Replace the lemon soda with orange soda.
  • Replace the orange garnish with lemon garnish.
  • Make a pitcher using full bottles of wine and soda.

Discover 10 essential bar tools for the home mixologist.

Tinto de Verano from Above

Tinto de Verano Recipe

5 from 1 vote
Spain’s refreshing Tinto de Verano is a great summer cocktail to sip at home. Unlike Sangria, it’s easy to craft with just two ingredients plus ice and garnish.
Prep Time 3 minutes mins
Total Time 3 minutes mins
Servings: 1
Course: Drink
Cuisine: Spanish
Calories: 143

Ingredients 

 

  • 4 ounces red wine (chilled)
  • 4 ounces lemon-lime soda (chilled)
  • ice cubes
  • 1 wheel orange (garnish)

Step-by-Step Instructions 

  1. Fill a glass halfway with ice cubes.
  2. Pour red wine and lemon-lime soda into the glass.
  3. Gently stir.
  4. Garnish with an orange wedge or wheel.

Pro Tips

  • Chill the red wine and lemon-lime soda before you craft this cocktail.
  • Don’t vigorously stir this cocktail. If you do, you’ll neutralize the soda’s fizz.
Click here to sign up for our newsletter.

💡 Frequently Asked Questions

What is Tinto de Verano?

Tinto de Verano is a refreshing Spanish cocktail crafted with equal parts of red wine and lemon-lime soda.

Where was Tinto de Verano invented?

Tinto de Verano was invented in Cordoba, Spain.

What’s the difference between Sangria and Tinto de Verano?

Both Sangria and Tinto de Verano are wine-based cocktails. However, while the Sangria recipe includes a variety of chopped fruit, the easy Tinto de Verano recipe gets its fruit flavor from lemon-lime soda. Also, Sangria can be crafted with either red or white wine (plus brandy) unlike Tinto de Verano which is always crafted with red wine.

What are the ingredients in Tinto de Verano?

Red Wine, Lemon-Lime Soda, Ice Cubes and an Orange Wedge or Wheel (garnish)

Is the Tinto de Verano cocktail shaken or stirred?

The Tinto de Verano cocktail is stirred, not shaken.

✸ More Refreshing Cocktails

Article Updates
We update our articles regularly. Some updates are major while others are minor link changes and spelling corrections. Let us know if you see anything that needs to be updated in this article.

Funding
We purchased the ingredients and tools used to craft this cocktail.

📍 Pin This Recipe

Single-image poster of Tinto de Verano, a deep red Spanish wine cocktai styled with a bold red accent palettePin
Single-image poster of Tinto de Verano, a deep red Spanish wine cocktai styled with a bold red accent palettePin
Single-image poster of Tinto de Verano, a deep red Spanish wine cocktai styled with a bold red accent palettePin

 

Related News