The Best 2-Ingredient Cocktail To Make From Boxed Red Wine
Have you ever given boxed wine a chance, truly? While some might immediately turn their noses up when they hear the words "box" and "wine" in the same breath, it still remains a popular and cost-effective way of enjoying a few drops of red or white. And though it does indeed expire, its life after being opened is still much longer than a traditional bottle that has been opened. And better yet, it might just be the best wine ingredient for a fizzy, simple yet delicious cocktail.
Using inexpensive and/or otherwise overlooked alcoholic ingredients in cocktails is nothing new — just look at the emphasis of using cheap tequila in Ina Garten's margaritas. And just like the celebrity chef's insistence on using bottom-shelf liquor for a more authentic and satisfying margarita, there's also a drink that was made with and for cheap wine. Called the kalimotxo (sometimes spelled phonetically as calimocho), this Spanish cocktail is designed with cheap — sometimes downright bad or spoiled — wine in mind. And better yet, the drink is usually made with only two ingredients: red wine and cola.
The origin of the kalimotxo
The world of alcoholic beverages is one replete with happy accidents and marriages of convenience. Look no further than the (likely) mistaken original creation of beer to see that sometimes even the most iconic drinks are just the evolved process of an initial accident. In the case of the kalimotxo, a similar sense of serendipity arises, though this time it is much more from desperate adaptation than from a sheer accident.
Supposedly originating in the Basque region in Spain, specifically in the Old Port of the town of Algorta, the story situates the creation of the kalimotxo during a festival. As the tale goes, the organizers of the festival had procured a vast amount of wine to be drunk during the celebrations, however much of the wine had gone bad unexpectedly. Though still supposedly safe to drink, they couldn't just sell a wine that had gone off, so they sought out a mixer to effectively mask the distasteful characteristics of the now-turned wine. They tried cola and discovered that a 50/50 mix of the wine and the cola not only did the job of masking the wine, but was actually quite tasty! Thus, the drink was served, the festival organizers solved their wine problem, and a new cocktail was born. It's generally agreed that the drink was around in the 1920s, but only became widespread and named in the '70s, following the opening of Spain's first Coca Cola factory in 1953.
Making the perfect kalimotxo
The drink is easy enough — just equal parts cola and red wine (freshness optional), right? That's technically true, but with a variety of inexpensive wines out there, your choices still matter. The beauty of the kalimotxo is that it'll do wonders for cheap wines such as boxed wine. It might sound counterintuitive to use an "inferior" wine on purpose, but this is exactly what you should do for two main reasons. First, the cola will cover up the less desirable qualities of cheaper wines. Any bitterness, acidity, or aftertaste will be effectively muted by the presence of the cola, so it's the perfect time to use something cheaper. It should be noted, though, that you may want to target dry wines for this drink, since cola is already super sweet. Second, any expensive wine you might have would simply be wasted in a cocktail such as the kalimotxo, since the majority of its more delicate notes would be completely lost when mixed with cola.
Since the kalimotxo has been around for generations, some have decided to add little touches to the drink to elevate it slightly. A simple wedge of lemon (or even lime or orange) adds an element of brightness to the already-refreshing drink. As well, you could add some bitters to add another layer of complexity to the beverage. Regular aromatic bitters would work, as would a complementary flavor like orange bitters. So enjoy an interesting (if unconventional) kalimotxo, and have fun trying out other odd-couple drinks, like the unique blend of iced coffee and Campari.