This 100-Year-Old Spanish Cocktail Is the Only Way I’m Sipping Red Wine This Summer (Only 4 Ingredients!)

Last summer I cross-tested our Tinto de Verano recipe. It was so good, I made a batch to bring to movie night at the park. Then I made another batch for the park next week. And then I did it again. I brought it to park hangs, beach days, and summer potlucks so many times I lost count because it’s exactly what I want to drink. It’s crisp, refreshing, fruity, and not-too-sweet. Most importantly, I think, it’s not too boozy for outdoor summer drinking. I love it so much I even made a little video about it.

Traditionally, Tinto de Verano is a Spanish cocktail made with chilled red wine and La Casera Limón, a citrus soda popular in Spain. While that soda isn’t widely available in the United States, this recipe gives plenty of alternatives to recreate the recipe at home.

Get the recipe: Tinto de Verano

If I’m hanging out at the park or the beach, I’m there for a good time and a long time. I don’t want a strong drink because, let’s face it, I’m going to have to pack it in and leave early. Tinto de Verano is a refreshing, low-ABV drink I can sip on. Chilled red wine lends a natural fruitiness without being too sweet, and this recipe gives a range of bubbly mixers so you can customize the flavor to your liking.

• Use a red wine you like. While this recipe calls for a Tempranillo, my preference is to use lighter reds like Gamay and Spanish Garnacha that I already like to drink chilled. I mix that with the fresh lemon and lime juice, then I finish with either straight club soda or club soda with a dash of Sprite.
• My favorite way to serve this is in batches. To scale up, I combine a bottle of red wine, 3/4 cup fresh lime juice, and 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice in a pitcher or insulated Thermos. Then I serve it with club soda and citrus sodas like Sprite or Pelligrino on the side so everyone can pour their perfect ratio.

• Hugo Cocktail
• Classic Mojito (or Blueberry Mojito)
• Pimm’s Cup
• Kir Royale
• Classic Shandy (or Mango Peach)

This post originally appeared on The Kitchen. See it there: This 100-Year-Old Spanish Cocktail Is the Only Way I’m Sipping Red Wine All Summer (Only 4 Ingredients!)