Tinto de Verano

We love a red wine sangria, but sometimes making it at home can be a whole thing. If you’re craving a summery red wine cocktail, the classic Tinto de Verano simplifies the sangria concept by only using 2 ingredients: red wine and lemon-lime soda (homemade or store-bought). I add a splash of sweet vermouth for a little extra something special, but that’s totally optional. So celebrate the ease of summer with me and mix up a Tinto de Verano, your new go-to summer cocktail.

Watch Me Make It

How to Make a Tinto de Verano

1. Fill a wine glass with ice. Add the red wine and sweet vermouth, if using. Top generously with lemon-lime soda.
2. Give it a gentle stir and garnish with a citrus wedge.

How to Make Homemade Lemon-Lime Soda

Of course you can buy lemon-lime soda at any store, but making your own is also really easy and makes the drink taste super fresh. Plus, as long as you have lemons and limes in the fridge (always!) you do’t even have to go to the store at all to enjoy a perfect Tinto de Verano at home.

Ingredients

• ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
• ¾ oz fresh lime juice
• ½–¾ oz simple syrup, to taste
• 4–5 oz chilled sparkling water or club soda
• Lemon or lime wheel, for garnish

Add the lemon juice, lime juice, and simple syrup to an ice-filled glass. Stir to combine, then top with sparkling water. Give it one gentle stir and adjust the sweetness to taste.

What is a Tinto de Verano?

Tinto de Verano means “summer red wine” in Spanish, so it’s obviously created with summer sipping in mind. It’s an easy 2-ingredient cocktail that mixes a dry Spanish red wine with lemon-lime soda in a wine glass filled with ice. In a lot of ways, it’s like a spritz, but without the liqueur, which means the Tinto de Verano is notably less boozy than something like an Aperol Spritz.

You’ll also notice the ratios of a Tinto de Verano are different than that of a spritz. I use equal parts red wine and soda, but some recipes use more of one or the other. The great thing about this recipe is it’s sort of an un-recipe. After making this drink enough times, you’ll stop measuring and start pouring on vibes alone.

Tinto de Verano Ingredients

Red Wine

Since this cocktail is Spanish, go for a Spanish red wine like Tempranillo or Garnacha. Outside of Spain, Pinot Noir, Malbec, and Syrah would also be great options for a dry red wine.

Lemon-Lime Soda

La Casera is the traditional Spanish lemon-lime soda used in a classic Tinto de Verano. If you can’t get your hands on it, simply use 7Up or Sprite. But even better is if you make your own lemon-lime soda yourself.

Sweet Vermouth

Sweet Vermouth is totally optional, but it adds a more complex, herbal note that helps cut through the sweetness and marries really well with the red wine. It has a similar ABV as wine. Alternatively, add a splash of good green olive brine and garnish with an olive or two!

Tips for Making the Best Tinto de Verano

• If you’re making your own lemon-lime soda, use ¾ oz simple syrup for more of that classic lemon-lime soda flavor. For something lighter and more refreshing, start with ½ oz.
• Using citrus soda will give the drink a sweeter, more traditional feel, while sparkling water keeps it crisp and wine-forward.
• You don’t have to ball out on a super nice red wine for this easy summer cocktail. Just choose something dry from Spain with a pretty label. That’s how we all buy wine, even if we don’t like to admit it.
• When adding the lemon-lime soda, do so gradually. Add a little, then stir and taste. Add a little more at a time until it tastes perfecto!

Why You’ll Love a Tinto de Verano

• Tinto de Verano is the ultimate summer cocktail. It’s easy, fizzy, colorful, and flavorful. You can make it with whatever dry red wine you have on hand and even if you don’t have lemon-lime soda, I bet you have some lemons and limes, so you can just make it yourself.
• The measurements are more suggestions than anything else. Adjust the ratios until it tastes just right to you.
• You can easily batch a Tinto de Verano if you have are hosting or are in charge of bringing the cocktail to a friend’s party. Just mix the red wine and sweet vermouth in a pitcher and bring a liter of lemon-lime soda.
• For those of us who resent summer and just want to drink all the deeper, richer flavors of fall and winter, the Tinto de Verano brings our beloved red wine into the sunlight and allows us to enjoy those flavors even when it’s unbearably hot out.