Kalimotxo or Rioja Libre is a two ingredient wine cocktail. It’s often called the poor man’s sangria. Keep this cocktail in mind if you open a bottle of red wine that you don’t particularly enjoy. The Coca-Cola will completely mask any off flavors in the wine. The name Rioja Libre is a spinoff of a Cuba Libre which is rum and coke. Rioja is a red wine region of Spain, hence Rioja Libre. If you visit Spain, all the young adults are drinking Kalimotxo. A Rioja Libre is a great wine cocktail to serve at back yard BBQs. The combination of flavors between the coke and wine make it a great pairing with sweet BBQ sauces.
Looking for more wine cocktails? Here are 10 easy wine cocktails with recipes.
Kalimotxo AKA Rioja Libre
If you've ever travelled to the Basque region of Spain, you've seen everyone sipping on a Kalimotxo. It's 3 ingredients, red wine, Coca-Cola, and a lemon squeeze. Proportions are 50/50. Folklore says that this cocktail came about when there was a street festival and the wine they bought to serve had gone bad. The organizers quickly added Coke to mask the off flavors. Keep this cocktail in mind if you buy a wine you don't love. The best wine for a Kalimotxo is Rioja, of course.
- 100 ml Red wine
- 100 ml Coca-Cola
- ½ Lemon
Add equal parts red wine and Coke to a rocks glass.
Squeeze the lemon and toss in.
Serve over lots of ice.
What glass do you serve a Kalimotxo in?
The three best types of glasses for a Kalimotxo or Rioja Libra are as follows:
Chatos glasses like this are what you’ll see Kalimotxos served in across Spain.
If you’re looking for a slightly larger Kalimotxo glass, these work great too.
Even a standard juice glass is often used to serve Kalimotxo.
How do you pronounce Kalimotxo?
What wine should I use to make a Kalimotxo?
