We love Fresca! One of Eric's favorite alcohol-free refreshers is his own concoction (as far as we know) of Fresca and Pomegranate juice over ice. Wow- it's so good!
Then he made us an "adult beverage" using a red wine blend in place of the pomegranate juice, added Fresca and ice and some fresh fruit for garnish. It was the simplest "Sangria" that I've ever had, and was equally as refreshing as the POM/Fresca fusion. It turns out, after a quick google search, that they've been drinking a version of this for many, many years in Spain! The local Spaniards leave the fancier Sangria formulas for tourists and opt for this quick mix of equal parts red wine and a lemon-lime soda (like Sprite or 7Up) over ice and call it Tinto de Verano!
Tinto de Verano makes one cocktail
Ingredients
4-5 oz Red Wine Blend (or Pomegranate Juice for a nonalcoholic version)
1-2 oz Limoncello (optional; omit for nonalcoholic version)
4-5 oz Grapefruit Soda (Fresca or Squirt, or other Citrus soda like 7 Up)
2-3 pcs Fresh Fruit garnish (optional), lime/lemon wedge, blueberries, etc.
Ice
Directions
1. Pour ice into a large wine or highball glass.
2. Add wine to glass and Limoncello, if using.
3. Pour in the citrus soda and stir gently.
4. Garnish with fruit, if using, and enjoy responsibly.
We prefer the grapefruit bite of Fresca over lemon-lime soda in this, and then we experimented further and found that adding an ounce or two of Limoncello elevated our Tinto de Verano even further with that sweet burst of lemon liqueur. We hope you enjoy our version of this Spanish favorite either way you serve it up- with red wine or with pomegranate juice! "Salud!"