Take the Trendy Tinto de Verano Cocktail From Summer into Fall
Despite its summery name, this 2-ingredient Spanish spritz is an all-season delight.
Back in May, Lex Madden, bar manager at Point Easy in Denver, Colorado, told BHG that “the spritz is absolutely the drink of summer!”
That prediction rang true. Everywhere we looked, we saw spritzes—there was the Hugo Spritz (our pick for the drink of summer 2023), the classic Aperol Spritz, the slushy Frozen Strawberry Aperol Spritz, a perfect-for-brunch Grapefruit, Champagne and Vodka Spritz—if it could be spritzed, it was.
Suddenly Trendy Tinto de Verono
However, a specific fizzy cocktail recipe rose to the top of the spritz drink trend. Thanks to a shout-out in The New York Times and a growing interest in Spanish culture, Bradley Ryan—partner and director of food and beverage for Siège Hospitality in Nashville, Tennessee, including the Spanish restaurant Lola—we all fell for the newest spritz in town: tinto de verano.
“Spain has become increasingly popular over the past year or so, with Americans traveling more and more to Spain and its islands, including Ibiza and Mallorca,” Ryan adds.
Try This Sangria Alternative
Bartenders are constantly seeking inspiration from all over the globe, and tinto de verano is a tasty and easy alternative to sangria, which Ryan admits “gets a bad reputation among bartenders.” Done well, a tinto de verano is still vibrant yet less sweet than most sangrias, and it’s a breeze to make for one or an entire party.
Tinto de verano is perfect for the Aperol spritz set because it’s similarly low-proof and has a bittersweet element from the wine. “It also has a wider appeal,” says Joseph Quintela, a Philadelphia-based regional director of restaurants for Garces Group (which includes the Spanish restaurant Amada).
And while it may be a perfect summery libation, we think this is a perfect candidate to bring into fall. The red wine gives it cool-weather vibes, making it a great transitional drink. Actually, we think this one could be a great choice any time of the year!
How to Know Whether You'll Like It
If you’re wondering if you might like tinto de verano, Quintela and Ryan suggest asking yourself:
Did I enjoy the Barbie movie (even if I was dragged to it)?
Do I enjoy Starbursts?
Do I appreciate light red wine or Sprite?
Am I a human being who is old enough to drink alcohol and free of any health conditions that would prevent me from safely doing so?
If you said “yes” to any or all of these, the tinto de verano recipe is for you.
What Is Tinto de Verano?
Translated from Spanish to English, tinto de verano means “red wine of summer.” It’s an apt name for this easy cocktail recipe, which has been a staple summer drink in Spain since the early 1900s. It’s believed that Federico Vargas invented tinto de verano, a mix of citrus soda and red wine, to greet visitors at his local hotspot, El Brillante in Córdoba, Spain. Popular artists of that time delighted in the drink so much that word got out about the cool factor. Soon, tinto de verano and summer became pretty much synonymous in Spain.
Related: 11 Fall Cocktails to Cozy Up with as the Weather Cools
“Tinto de Verano is a refreshing red wine cocktail that captures the essence of summer—and tastes like it too,” summarizes Jimmy Cosma, Chicago, Illinois-based co-founder and CEO of Sommarøy Spirits and founder of Atlas Imports.
Many Mediterranean countries, especially those that are prominent wine producers (Greece, Italy, and France), have a similar sip, Cosma says. “Given the massive uptick in travel this year, coupled with the extremely hot summer, we are just discovering these more regional nuanced drinks and trying them out at home,” he explains.
Since it’s a mixed drink recipe that starts with wine, tinto de verano is similar to sangria. However, tinto de verano earns bonus points for being easier to make, lower in alcohol, more budget-friendly, and often a bit less sweet.
“Cheap wine is great for mixing into more cocktails than just sangria. There’s lots to work with: bitter, acid, and fruit,” Quintela adds. “Conveniently, all three of these elements work great with soft drinks.”
For several seasons, the Spanish restaurant Amada has featured kalimotxo (red wine and cola) and vino verano (white wine and lemon-lime soda). Those are both fan favorites, but the real “sleeper hit menu item” is tinto de verano.
“Once you coax someone into trying tinto de verano or serve one to someone in the know, everyone starts asking for their own,” Quintela says.
Good thing it’s a cinch to create this by the pitcher full.
Tinto de Verano Ingredients
You need only two ingredients to make tinto de verano at home: red wine and citrus soda.
On the soda side, many Spanish bartenders opt for Fanta Limón, but you can use any lemon or citrus soda. Feel free to use equal parts lemonade and club soda instead, or for a less-sweet substitute, choose citrus-flavored sparkling water.
For wine, seek out a red that’s dry and medium-bodied—ideally, Spanish if you can find it. Quintela and Cosma recommend grenache, tempranillo, primitivo, or zinfandel. A bottle in the $15 to $30 range should be perfect.
“If the wine is too light or sweet and rich it can throw the cocktail out of balance,” Ryan says
How to Make Tinto de Verano
To make a tinto de verano, combine:
4 ounces (½ cup) red wine
4 ounces (½ cup) citrus soda.
Serve over ice.
There you have it: A traditional tinto de verano! You have our mixologists’ permission to tweak as desired.
“The ratio is really about your place on the bittersweet spectrum. If you favor bitter, add more wine. If you prefer sweet, more soda,” Quintela says.
Related: 3 Hydrating Cocktails to Sip on When You Can’t Escape the Sun
Tinto de Verano Tips and Variations
If you want to up the ante, Ryan and his team at Lola still swear by a tip from Juliana Aguiar. In addition to being the opening chef at their Nashville restaurant, Aguiar cooked in Spain for 25 years. The chef reveals that “real Spanish bars use red wine and sweet vermouth (red vermouth) to make their tintos. I found this absolutely crucial to the balance of the drink,” Ryan says. “The sweet vermouth adds more spices and herbs and bitter backbone to help this drink taste layered and interesting instead of sweet and cheap.”
To recreate something similar to Lola’s tinto de verano, combine:
4 ounces (½ cup) red wine
4 ounces (½ cup) citrus soda
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) Spanish sweet vermouth.
If you’re planning to batch this out to serve as a party drink, refrigerate the wine (and vermouth, if using) in a pitcher, and add the ice and soda as guests arrive or ask for refills.
“This will keep things consistent throughout the evening instead of great at 5 p.m. and watery and flat by 7 p.m.,” Ryan suggests.
At that point, all that’s left to do is add the food. Tinto de verano is like a great pair of jeans—it goes well with everything—but we especially recommend a charcuterie board, Weeknight Chorizo and Shrimp Paella, Hurried Gazpacho and Handheld Quesadillas, or Grilled Chicken with Blueberry-Tarragon Sauce.
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