Kalimotxo
A beloved Basque classic: equal parts dry red wine and Coca-Cola over ice. Deceptively simple, surprisingly refreshing, and completely unpretentious.
Ingredients
- 4 oz dry red wine (Tempranillo or Garnacha work well)
- 4 oz Coca-Cola
- Lime wedge, to garnish
- Ice
Instructions
- 1Fill a highball glass with ice.
- 2Pour the red wine and Coca-Cola in equal parts over the ice.
- 3Do not stir — let the two liquids meet gently.
- 4Garnish with a lime wedge and serve immediately.
Origin & Story
The Kalimotxo (pronounced kah-lee-MOH-cho) was supposedly born at a 1972 festival in Algorta when organizers found that a batch of red wine had turned, and diluted it with Coca-Cola to mask the vinegar edge. It caught on immediately, spread across Spain, and is now a staple of Spanish festivals, street parties, and university culture. Outside Spain it's sometimes called Calimocho. The drink's enduring appeal is its simplicity: a cheap, cheerful mix that asks nothing of you and rewards with everything.
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