Mixing vino and Coca-Cola may sound weird, but the kalimotxo is a cocktail that’s better than the sum of its parts.
If you say Spain to most people, the beverage that jumps to mind is sangria. Sangria conjures images of flamenco and bullfights and Costa del Sol. But the reality is that Spanish people do not drink a lot of sangria. In Spain, sangria is mostly a drink for tourists (Which is totally fine! We’re all tourists somewhere and sangria can be delicious!). Instead, Spaniards opt for a different type of cocktail made with wine and soda, the most famous of which is the kalimotxo.
What Is a Kalimotxo?
A kalimotxo (or calimocho) is a mix of red wine and Coca-Cola. There is no better use for leftover red wine than this Spanish concoction. You will be amazed by how well a big, bold, oaky red wine blends with cola. Scandalize your wine snob friends!
What Is the History of the Kalimotxo?
A mix of red wine and Coke has existed in Spain since at least the 1920s. But until the mid-century, there was very little Coca-Cola available in the country—the first Coca-Cola plant in Spain didn’t open until 1953. Fast forward to the summer of 1972, during the festival of St. Nicholas festival in Spain’s Basque Country, in the town of Getxo. Festival organizers had bought 2,000 liters of red wine for the event, but when they tasted it… it was a little unpleasant. They suddenly had to find a way to sell the bad wine. Someone had the bright idea to mix the wine with Coca-Cola to mask the taste, and voila! The drink was born.
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