Let’s be honest — sangria is downright delightful. Fruity, festive, and dangerously easy to drink, it’s been the go-to Spanish summer sipper for decades. But while sangria is sweet, social, and often steeped in booze-soaked fruit, it’s also a bit of a project. Between slicing citrus, marinating fruit, and mixing a laundry list of ingredients, making a decent sangria can feel like prepping for a potluck instead of pouring a drink.
The tinto de verano is Spain’s lesser-known, laid-back cousin of sangria — and frankly, the cooler one. Translating literally to “red wine of summer,” this fizzy, refreshingly simple spritz has been a staple in Spanish households and tapas bars for generations.
And yet, despite its effortless charm and easy-drinking nature, it’s still flying under the radar in much of the world. That’s a shame — because tinto de verano might just be the best summer drink you’re not sipping yet.
While it’s long been a beloved classic in Spain, tinto de verano is finally getting a little bit of the global attention it deserves. You’ll spot it on drink menus in trendy bars from LA to Lisbon, often served in oversized goblets with a single citrus wheel floating lazily on top. But the best version might still be the one you make at home, with whatever red wine you’ve got and a cold can of soda from the fridge.
Because in a summer filled with overthought cocktails and sugar-laden frozen drinks, tinto de verano is the chill friend who shows up in flip-flops and still manages to be the coolest one at the party.
How to enjoy a tinto de verano
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of red wine
- 1/2 cup of lemon soda
Method
- Add the red wine and soda over ice.
- Gently stir.
- Garnish with a slice of lemon (optional)
At its core, tinto de verano is beautifully unfussy — just red wine and lemon soda, poured over ice and garnished (if at all) with a simple slice of lemon. That’s it. No steeping. No brandy. No chopped fruit. No stress. The result? A crisp, slightly tart, low-ABV cocktail that’s as refreshing as it is ridiculously easy to make.
Traditionally, the soda component is gaseosa, a mild, sweetened Spanish lemon soda that tastes like a mix between Sprite and club soda. In the U.S., lemon-lime sodas like Sprite or 7Up work well, though purists might prefer to mix lemon soda with a splash of seltzer to tone down the sweetness.
And while any inexpensive dry red will do, a young, unaged red wine with bright acidity and low tannins is best. Think Tempranillo, Grenache, or even a light Pinot Noir.
If sangria is the star of big dinner parties and long lunches, tinto de verano is what you drink when you come home from work and it’s still 90 degrees out. It’s what you sip in your backyard wearing cutoff shorts with your feet in the pool. It’s not trying to impress anyone, which is exactly why it does.
Like any great minimalist drink, tinto de verano is endlessly versatile. Want it a little drier? Use club soda and a splash of fresh lemon juice instead of soda. Craving bubbles with a bite? Go half red wine, half tonic water for a bitter edge. Wanting to dress things up? Add a sprig of rosemary, a dash of bitters, or a few frozen berries as ice cubes. There are no hard rules here — just chill wine and fizz in your glass.
