Kalimotxo Cocktail Recipe
Red wine and cola in equal parts over ice — Basque, unpretentious, and better than it has any right to be.
- Category: Popular
- Glass: Highball glass
- ABV: 7%
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: ~3 min
Ingredients
- Red wine120 ml (4.1 oz)
- Cola120 ml (4.1 oz)
How to Make It
- Fill a tall glass with ice.
- Pour the red wine and cola in together, in equal parts.
- Stir once.
- Garnish with a lemon wedge.
Garnish
Lemon wedge
What it tastes like
The sweetness is pronounced and it is low in alcohol.
The technique
Built in the glass. Ice goes into the serving glass, the ingredients go on top, and you stir once if at all. Anything carbonated goes in LAST and never gets stirred; every turn of the spoon costs you bubbles. Fill the glass to the rim with ice: less ice melts faster, not slower.
Glass and ice
A tall, narrow highball. The narrowness does real work — less surface area means the carbonation lasts longer and the ice melts more slowly.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Red wine
- You want a young, fruity red that does not push its tannin; heavy, oaky wines turn harsh against cola or soda. Expensive wine is wasted here.
- Cola
- Full-sugar and diet cola do not give the same drink: diet leaves the body thin and the spirit exposed. Plenty of ice and cola added last keeps the fizz.
The Story
Invented at a Basque festival in 1972 when a batch of wine turned out to be undrinkable and someone reached for the cola crate.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Kalimotxo mixed?
- It is built in the glass and served in a highball glass.
- How strong is a Kalimotxo?
- Roughly 7% ABV as served — lighter than a beer — a long-conversation drink that takes a second round.
- Can a Kalimotxo be made without alcohol?
- Simply leaving the spirit out does not work — the body and the bitterness go with it. The 86 alcohol-free recipes in the catalogue are built to hit that balance from the start.
- Is a Kalimotxo hard to make?
- Easy. No bar kit required — a measure, ice and a jar will do.
The main ingredient here is also a dream symbol: Wine in a dream
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Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.