Kalimotxo
Red wine and cola meet over plenty of ice in this fresh, easy-drinking Spanish classic.
Ingredients
- Red wine, dry and inexpensive100 ml
- Cola100 ml
- Lemon, to garnish (optional)1 wedge
Method
- Fill a highball glass with plenty of ice cubes.
- Pour the red wine over the ice.
- Top up gently with cola, so the fizz holds.
- Stir briefly and lightly to combine.
- Garnish with a lemon wedge, if you like, and serve at once.
About this drink
The Kalimotxo comes from the Basque Country and began as a welcome way to rescue cheap or tired red wine: the sweetness of the cola tames the wine's harsh tannins. It became a fixture of Spanish parties and festivals, where it is often mixed in large quantities and drunk cold and fast. Some affectionately call it 'the poor man's sangria', but its simple charm has made it a respected classic in its own right.
Questions and answers
What is a Kalimotxo?
A Basque classic, simply red wine and cola in equal parts over ice: a drink born of necessity, when cheap wine needed a sweet counterpoint.
Which red wine should you use for a Kalimotxo?
A cheap, robust red wine is actually ideal. That is the whole point of the drink, and a fine, expensive wine is wasted once it meets the cola.
