There is nothing better than sipping sangria on the beach in Spain, but while we can’t do that, we can try to recreate the experience from home. Sangria is one of the best drinks from Spain to try, but there are plenty more Spanish cocktails to suit every taste. Here are some of my favourite Spanish cocktail recipes to try making at home!
Typical Spanish Cocktail Ingredients
Like any national drinks, Spanish cocktails tend to use the alcohol they have in the region. Red wine features heavily, as does Cava, the Spanish version of Champagne, and white wine, although it is less common than red wine in mixed drinks.
Spirits include locally produced sherry, as well as gin, rum and other liqueurs.
As the weather in Spain can get very hot during the summer, many Spanish cocktail recipes are long drinks where wine or spirits are mixed with soft drinks that can be enjoyed during hot weather but without becoming dehydrated.
How to Make Spanish Cocktails
Most of these cocktails are really easy to make, and don’t require any special equipment – aside from the ingredients of course!
A measuring glass such as a shot glass is useful, although estimates are fine too. In Spain, most bartenders will free-pour the drinks so don’t worry too much about being exact!
For the long drinks, such as sangria it is easier to make a jug of sangria to share out instead of mixing each drink individually. A wooden spoon or spatula is useful for stirring the jug and to stop everything tipping out into your glass!
Easy Spanish Cocktail Recipes
These are some of the most popular Spanish cocktails which you can easily make at home. I’ve started off with the super easy cocktails with just two ingredients like the Clara, leading up to slightly more complicated recipes which are still easy to make. I hope you enjoy them, let me know how you get on!
Clara
OK so maybe this isn’t really a cocktail, but it is refreshing on a hot day! Clara is basically a shandy; a simple mix of beer and lemonade (lemon Fanta or any fizzy lemonade) and will help you to while away the day without getting too drunk.
It is best to use a Spanish beer if you can get one; Estrella, for example, is typical in Barcelona and northern Spain, but any lager will do just fine.
Ingredients:
Beer
Lemonade
How to Make Clara:
Mix equal quantities of beer and lemonade.
You can vary the quantities if you wish to make it stronger or more lemony. Serve chilled, without ice. Claras are usually served without garnish, as a lighter alternative to beer.
Tinto de Verano
With a name that literally means summer red wine; Tinto de Verano is a refreshing way to enjoy wine in the sunshine without getting a headache!
Ingredients:
Red wine (chilled)
Sprite
How to Make Tinto de Verano:
Mix equal measures of red wine with sprite or other lemonade. Serve over ice with sliced lemon as a garnish
Calimocho
This might sound strange but stick with me here: red wine and cola. Oh yes, Calimcho or Kalimotxo as it is called in the Basque Region, is a simple mix of red wine and a cola drink, coca cola being the most common
Calimocho is popular among students as it is cheap, so easy to make and gives you a kick from the caffeine in the cola. It’s a great way to use up a bottle of red wine that you’re not keen on, or an alternative to sangria if you don’t have fresh fruit available!
Don’t drink too much, otherwise you will have an awful hangover the next day!
Ingredients:
Cheap red wine
Coca Cola (or alternative)
How to Make Calimocho:
Half-fill a jug or glass with red wine, and gently top up with cola. Stir gently to mix and serve with ice, and a slice of lime if you’re feeling fancy!
You can also just take a half full bottle of cola and top it up with red wine if you don’t have a jug available.
Rebujito
Rebujito originates in Andalusia, the southernmost region of Spain. It uses sherry, usually from Jerez de la Frontera, and is mixed with a soft drink like sprite. Refreshing and tasty!
Rebujito Recipe:
Spanish Sherry, preferably a Fino or Manzanilla Sherry.
Sprite or 7Up
Sprigs of mint
How to Make a Rebujito:
Pour a healthy shot of sherry in a glass with ice. Add a sprig of mint and top up with Sprite. Serve garnished with a mint leaf.
Sangría
Of course, I have to start with sangria! Sangria is easy to make and delicious, but it can get sickly if you drink too much. There are a hundred different variations to the sangria recipe, but this one is really easy and made with ingredients you are likely to have already.
Easy Sangria Recipe
Red Wine
Brandy
Lemonade
Orange, Apple and Lemon
How to Make Sangría
Chop the fruit into chunks and put in a bowl. Pour in the brandy and set aside to allow the fruit to absorb the brandy. Leave it for 30 minutes if you have time, or if you’re in a hurry you can also use it straight away.
Half-fill a large jug with ice. Add the fruit, brandy, wine and orange juice, and top up with lemonade. Stir well. Add a spoonful of sugar if the mix is too bitter or increase the amounts of lemonade or orange juice if it’s a bit strong for you! Serve garnished with orange or lemon slices.
Other Sangria Recipes to Try
Sangria is one of those drinks where anything goes! You can switch out the red wine and use white wine or cava instead to make white or cava sangria. I also love doing a rose wine sangria using watermelon and strawberries too – I think I need a whole separate post about sangria!
Agua de Valencia
As the name suggests, this Spanish cocktail is from Valenica, on the Eastern coast of Spain. Since it was first invented in 1959, it as become the must-drink cocktail in Valencia!
If you like strong drinks, a lot of recipes also add a shot of gin and vodka to the mix, which ups the alcohol considerably. I’ve stuck with Cointreau for this recipe, which is lovely on a sunny day.
You can mix each drink individually if you like or increase the quantities and make a jug-full!
Ingredients:
Cava
Orange juice
Cointreau (orange liqueur)
Orange slices to serve
How to Make Agua de Valencia
Add Cointreau to a large glass, then fill it half full with the cava. Top up with orange juice, and stir to mix. Taste to check you have the quantities right, and add a little sugar if it is too tart.
Non-Traditional Spanish Cocktails
Although they did not originate in Spain, there are two drinks which I automatically associate with Spain – in particular Barcelona – that I enjoyed frequently when I lived in the city.
Gin and Tonic
Gin is enjoying a huge boom in Barcelona, and most of the rest of the world! Small gin producers are popping up everywhere, any many bars even make their own gin. Served in huge globe like glasses, try the bar’s recommended gin and tonics and enjoy!
Mojito
Using Cuban rum, mojitos are not really Spanish although you could perhaps argue some colonial claim on it! However, no matter where they came from, mojitos are always popular in Spain. I personally prefer strawberry mojitos, with muddled strawberries and fresh mint. Yum!