Trends

A recent trip to Screen on the Green with some friends resulted in my first experience of a drink I had never heard of before (and for me that takes some doing), an unusual concoction of sorts that my friend Tiffany introduced me to. It’s called Calimocho (or Kalimotxo). I’m sure some of our European readers may have heard of this – Calimocho is a Basque inspired drink consisting of equal parts red wine and in this instance Diet Coke, over ice. I know, you are thinking this is a crazy notion, but I have to say, not so much. It was actually a refreshing blend, the wine almost removes the fizz of the soda while the soda tones down the strength of the wine, without removing the basic taste of the two. The pairing kind of neutralizes the smell and intensity of the contrasting flavours.

Apparently this drink is common for teenagers in Spanish regions. The lax alcohol laws enable the younger generation to drink wine, so they mix it with coke, or in my case Diet Coke. One of my Spanish friends laughed at me when I told him about my discovery; he basically said it was the equivalent of a trashy wine cooler. I refuse to accept this drink as being trashy, I say it’s a fine, refreshing compliment to an outdoor social. I have to admit though, I was a little hesitant at first as I don’t drink soda, so it took a lot for me to actually drink it. Not something to be done on a whim, but it’s certainly one I will be offering to my guests at future events.

Other variations after the jump.