What Spanish drink is made from red wine and lemon soda?

What Spanish drink is made from red wine and lemon soda? Tinto de verano is the classic answer: a simple mixture of red wine and lemon-flavoured soda.

The drink is usually mixed in roughly equal parts and served cold over ice, sometimes with a slice of lemon or orange. Its name means “summer red wine,” reflecting its popularity during Spain’s hot summer months. It is commonly made with everyday table wine rather than an expensive vintage.

Tinto de verano is often confused with sangría, but the two are not identical. Sangría generally includes chopped fruit and may contain sugar, brandy, spices, or other flavourings. Tinto de verano is deliberately simpler: wine, soda, ice, and occasionally citrus garnish. Red wine mixed with cola is a different drink called kalimotxo, while cava is Spain’s sparkling wine.

The drink became associated with Spanish bars and informal summer drinking in the twentieth century. It can be mixed to order or bought ready-made in bottles and cans. Lemon soda is traditional, although orange soda, bitter lemon, or sparkling water can be used in variations.