Ranch Water
Naz Deravian
869 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
869
5 minutes
Tinto de Verano
Updated Dec. 12, 2023
- Total Time
- 20 minutes, plus 1½ hours for optional syrup
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 5 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:1 drink
- Peel of 1 lemon
- Peel of 1 lime
- ¾cup granulated sugar
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- ¾cup/6 ounces fresh lemon juice (from about 2½ large lemons)
- Ice
- 2ounces dry red wine
- ¾ounce sweet vermouth (optional)
- 4ounces lemon-lime soda, such as La Casera, 7Up or Sprite (or use ¾ ounce Lemon-Lime Simple Syrup, plus 2 to 4 ounces soda water)
- Lemon wheel, for garnish
For the Lemon-lime Syrup (optional)
For the Drink
Preparation
- Step 1
If making the lemon-lime syrup, place the citrus peels in a small saucepan, and add the sugar and salt. Use a muddler or the end of a rolling pin to break down the mixture, working the sugar mixture into the peels until they start to express their oils. Add the lemon juice and stir to combine. Heat over low, stirring frequently, just until the sugar dissolves. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and set aside to steep for 1 to 2 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids. (You should have about 1 cup syrup. The syrup can be stored, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 3 weeks.)
- Step 2
In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, combine the wine, vermouth and syrup, if using. Cover and shake until cold, then strain into an ice-filled highball or wine glass. Top with soda (or soda water), and mix gently to combine. Garnish with the lemon wheel and serve.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
LisaM
Sounds like a fancy version of my go-to red wine spritzer: dry red wine + Fresca + a good squeeze of fresh lime, over ice. It’s really refreshing!
Lena
Original tinto de verano doesn't have any syrup, lime or salt. Just red wine, La Casera (original or lemon taste), a lemon slice and ice. It doesn't require prep, it is done on the go. Proportions will change depending on taste (more or less wine, etc). A touch of vermouth is only done is some parts of the country (I don´t fancy that one as much, is less refreshing in my opinion). Many times simpler is better.
Elizabeth
If you’d like to prevent it from getting watered down, add frozen grapes instead of ice cubes.
Amy Maricle
I spent a couple of happy summers in Sevilla Spain. In the bars there they always made it simply with a dry, red wine, and either lemon or lime Fanta and ice. Very simple and very delicious.
PB
I’ve made something similar to this for many years! I like to use San Pellegrino or the Italian lemon sodas (should just be soda, no cream or anything) sold at Trader Joe’s or most grocery stores as they’re less sweet and more “citrusy” to me. If it’s still feeling too sweet I’ll sometimes squeeze lemon in or cut it with a bit of club soda
jojo banana
very VERY tasty. I’m completely blitzed on this getting pizza right now, but I have been chasing down this cocktail since I was slinging them in the north of Spain for a year. I made the simple syrup with the intent to use it tonight, but ended up topping the ménage a trois red and sweet vermouth with half a can of sprite. I pre froze the wine glass before serving and garnished with a lemon slice and I’m pretty sure this is my new EVERY DAY cocktail. 10/10 thank you NYT!
Thomas Anderson
Have spent many summer months in Spain and never saw such a complicated Tinto de verano. Just buy a high-quality lemon soda like San Pellegrino or the excellent lemon soda that they sell at Aldi and mix with red wine and ice. This is my go-to summer drink.
Tracey
I have been making a lighter, less sweet version of this for years now. Dry Spanish red wine with lemon seltzer and a good squeeze of lemon. I don’t miss the sweetener (although if I did, I’d probably just add a splash of the regular simple syrup I keep on hand).
Miriam
I also opt for an Italian soda—the lemon one from Trader Joe’s is a great, tart, not-overly sweet option! Would also highly recommend trying this with grapefruit soda!
eaalice
How do you think this would go with Fever Tree Sparkling Sicilian Lemonade?
Oscar Rollán
Being from Spain, I have been drinking this for many years. This a simple and yet refreshing drink. All you need is some normal red wine, lemon fanta (unfortunately not available in the US), ice and a slice of lemon. I am still looking for a lemon soda close enough, but I have not found it yet. But I am still looking and trying different lemon sodas.
TM
Seconding PB's recommendation - I've been doing this with Trader Joe's sparkling lemonade for years now! With or without the extra alcohol, and always over ice. Even friends who hate red wine will drink a tinto de verano.
AC
Ice, 3/4 red wine, 1/4 orange soda. Perfection.
Richard
Did you read that the lemon/lime syrup is optional? Otherwise it's ice, red wine and soda.. again with optional vermouth. Nothing complicated.
Kim
Following up on my note, I tried both the sprite and homemade lemon lime syrup/club soda and liked them both. The sweet vermouth came through with more nuance and complexity than the sprite but both delicious and colorful. Perfect for a fair summer evening.
Beth
Based on the comments, I made a simpler version with chilled Tempranillo (1/3 cup), and then mixed lemon San Peligrino and plain Topo Chico mineral water to make up 3/4 cup total (I did half and half), all over ice with a lemon twist. Scaled up into a pitcher; it was GREAT and not too sweet, and perfect for a hot afternoon.
Michael
American sodas just don't taste right with their high fructose corn syrup. I enjoyed many of these drinks in Sevilla one summer, simply Rioja and lemon Fanta.
JJ
We used what we had, red wine, vermouth, but then a squeeze of a quarter of a lime and club soda. Was not quite right so added almost a tablespoon of maple syrup - Yum!
missingbrooklyn
Yep. This just took me back 25 yrs to a summer abroad in Segovia. Sangria all day yields a hangover. This is lovely and civilized. Red wine and lemon (or lime) seltzer, as other have noted, is fantastic too, if you’re not into drinking soda all day. This may replace ranch water as my go-to this summer.
Deborah Musselman
And don’t forget Fresca, US sparkling soda water w grapefruit and citrus flavors — delish!
Lady Di
I make my Spanish sangria with Squirt. It’s the closest thing I have found to Fanta de Limón which is what they used for sangria and tinto de verano in the 90’s when I studied at the University of Seville. We don’t get lemon Fanta in the U.S. (though I foundnit once at a Polish grocer in Chicago in the early 2000’s), and I don’t know where to find Kas.
Seagroves
I could chug these like water on a hot summer day. Left out vermouth and used Fever Tree Sparkling Sicilian lemonade.
Dan
This is a great recipe for any red wine, especially if it’s too “heavy” for the moment and you want something lighter. Highly recommend this with regular Sprite but Sprite Zero works as well.
Chase A
This is fabulous. A delicious low alc sipper that I actually feel suits winter as well as summer.
Anita R
Ha! Child of a Spanish Family: I grew up learning to drink wine- a little bit at a time Early on, it was a 7UP or Sprite and a "splash" of Red Wine. As time went by: less "splash" and more Red! I can remember this at Christmas & big family dinners a LOOOONG way back! A fun memory of visits to Queens by this Country Cousin from Virginia. Ah! Fanta: learned to love it on my 2 trips to Spain. If you do not see it at your local store, try a "Spanish" store. Fanta is popular in the other" Americas"
Oh Hello
I lived half my life in Sevilla and agree with other readers that this is highly complicated and not the normal tinto de verano you get in Spain. San Pellegrino lemon or orange plus red wine and ice is all you need. As far as finding an equivalent for Casera- to me I would say soda water plus sugar, but the refreshing taste of the SP limonata can’t be beat.
Greg
We were visiting San Diego in the summer and walked into a bar. I I asked for this and of course they didn’t know what it was. I told them that it had been in the NYT the day before and read the simple recipe to the bartender. We went back the next day and they were serving it. Once home, I drank it all summer.
Karen
I traveled all over Spain this very hot fall, and I drank tinto de Verano everywhere. Several bartenders told me they used lemon Fanta, so I consider it the standard. I haven’t looked to see whether lemon Fanta is available in the states, though.
GinaF
So refreshing!
JJ
Refreshing! Made the recipe as is and loved it!
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