BEBIDAS

I have had an amazing time this summer in Salamanca. I didn't really make it south of the city, but I don't think I would have enjoyed that blazing heat anyways. I did get a chance to check out the biggest party in the world, los san fermines, and some incredible beaches up north, San Sebastian, Santander, and Barca.

Over the last six weeks, I have somehow become quite knowledgeable in regards to the local spanish drinks. They have some many combinations of drinks here, that we would never think to create back in the states. Since spain has some incredible wines, especially those coming out of the Rioja, many of these drinks involve vino as the base. These include the botellon specialty, kalimoxo which combines wine and coca-cola, tinto de verano which combines wine with soda water (casera here in spain), and also sangria. Sangria combines wine, fruit, sweetener such as sugar, brandy, triple sec, other spirits and ice. Most places uses red wine for sangria, but Segovia has the reputation to add white wine creating a unique flavor. All of these wine beverages are best served cold and help the spanish people bear the intense summer heat. Another refreshing drink here is clara de limón. It is a combination of beer and lemon soda. It is also served cold and has a very sweet taste, with the lemon taking away any bite from the beer. Other spanish specialties include cidra, a fermented type of juice, and la bota. La bota is an apparatus used to carry wine. It keeps the wine chilled in a small satchel like container. It is typically used by farmers and workers would cannot be inconvenienced by glass bottles while working and is also very common in Pamplona during san fermines.

More fun spanish drinks include, mojitos (a minty combinations of alcohols, mint, sugar, and lime) and agua de valencia (a large amount of cheap vodka, ice and orange pop for cheap). And if you are looking for a really fun drinking game, try out a porrón. It is a glass drinking apparatus that could be called the equivalent of a spanish beer bong. It has two arms extending out from a vase like basin; the first for filling it up and the other for pouring it out directly into your mouth. It is very difficult to do this without getting most of the beverage all over your shirt. I would highly recommend this, and since it is local to the north of spain it is hard to find a place to do this in Salamanca. The only place I encountered is Bar Su Casa just off of Calle Van Dick. What really surprised me about the porrón is that in the north, they have champions at this event. I do not quite know what this title entails, but I would love to see the competition that must precede it.

Thanks for everything Andy!