Drinks recipes
Sangría, vermut, cava, sidra and sherry.
11 recipes
Agua de Valencia
A deceptively easy-drinking Valencian punch of cava, fresh orange juice and a double hit of gin and vodka, born in a Valencia café in the late 1950s. It tastes like sunshine and disappears far too fast, which is exactly the trap.
Cava
This spritz-style aperitif shows off Cava's crisp, citrusy bubbles without burying them, lengthened with a splash of orange and a whisper of liqueur. It is a bright, low-fuss way to open a meal in the Penedès spirit of celebration.
Horchata de Chufa
A cool, milky Valencian drink pressed from tiger nuts, tasting of almond, cinnamon and something faintly earthy and sweet. Served ice-cold and often semi-frozen, it is the classic summer refreshment of l'Horta, dunked with long soft fartons.
Jerez (Sherry)
Sherry is Andalusia's great fortified wine, ranging from bone-dry, saline finos to dark, treacly Pedro Ximénez. Rather than a single recipe, the classic way to enjoy it is a simple chilled serve that lets the wine and a few nibbles do the talking.
Kalimotxo
The great democratic drink of Basque festivals: equal parts red wine and cola, poured over ice and drunk from a plastic cup among friends. It is cheap, cheerful and unbothered about pretension, which is exactly the point.
Queimada
Queimada is Galicia's flaming spirit punch, made by setting light to orujo with sugar, lemon and coffee beans until the flames dance blue. Traditionally an incantation is chanted over the pot to ward off evil spirits, making it as much ritual as drink.
Rebujito
The unofficial anthem-in-a-cup of the Andalusian feria, rebujito turns dry, saline sherry into something breezy and endlessly drinkable by cutting it with cold citrus soda. The magic is in keeping the sherry proportion generous enough that the wine still leads.
Sangría — the Spanish way (less sweet, more wine)
Real Spanish sangría is a wine punch, not a fruit salad with alcohol. Young Rioja, orange, a little brandy, and restraint with the sugar.
Sidra
Asturian sidra natural is a bone-dry, still cider that is as much about ritual as flavour: poured from height so it froths briefly to life, then drunk fast. Fermenting your own is a slow, rewarding autumn project.
Tinto de Verano
The everyday Andalusian answer to summer heat, tinto de verano is simpler and lighter than sangria: just cold red wine lengthened with fizzy gaseosa or lemon soda over ice. Locals reach for it far more often than the tourist-famous sangria.
Vermut
Making your own vermut means steeping wine with wormwood and a chorus of aromatic botanicals, then fortifying and lightly sweetening it. The result is a personal aperitivo for the weekend ritual of la hora del vermut.
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