The Spanish love these three drinks to keep them cool in summer – here's how to find them in the UK
WHILE the UK is set to hit 30C this week, us Brits are still not as good at coping with hot weather as Spaniards.
And when it comes to drinks, Sangria might seem as Spanish as a siesta when it comes to beating the heat,
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But there are three drinks that are little known here that Spaniards favour to keep hydrated when the sun is out.
The most family-friendly of the three is the non-alcoholic horchata de chufa, which has a creamy consistency like a milkshake, but is made from chufas or tiger nuts, which are a root.
It's packed with iron, potassium and antioxidants and often flavoured with cinnamon or lemon.
I first encountered it when I visited relatives living in Alboraya, on the outskirts of Valencia, where tiger nuts are grown in the fields and where the most popular horchata parlours, known as horchateria, are based.
My grandma took one mouthful and declared that it was a drink that could send you mad, so I think it's fair to say that it might be a bit of an acquired taste.
But for many Valencians, it's up there with paella as giving a little taste of their city.
A lovely spot to enjoy it is at the Mercat Colon near the Turia, which is a gorgeous 100-year-old art nouveau market hall in the city centre, renovated and now used to house bars and shops.
Orxata Daniel, one of the most popular horchaterias, has a base there so you don't need to catch the metro out of the city centre if you want to try the drink the Spanish go mad for.
You can also buy it pre-bottled in the UK now (£14.95 for two on Amazon) although it's not a patch on the freshly made drink.
If you're after a thirst-quencher that includes something a bit stronger, then Agua de Valencia is a potent cocktail that's fairly easy to knock up at home, with ingredients easily bought at supermarkets here.
It's another drink that uses what the Valencians find in abundance in their lands, but this time the key ingredient is orange juice. Oh, and cava, gin and vodka, of course.
When I first tried this delicious cocktail on a bar crawl through the bohemian district of Rusafa, next to the main city train station, I had no idea quite how much booze it contained, thanks to the fresh orange juice used as a mixer.
Safe to say, I certainly discovered just how alcoholic it was when it came to the next day's hangover.
I even had it as a signature drink at my hen do as it's a real crowd-pleaser and one that suits most people's taste buds, if not their tolerance of alcohol!
To find it in the UK, restaurants like Bar + Block or Iberica, which have a number of eateries across the country.
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One drink that really is a taste of summer for Spaniards across the country is tinto de verano.
In the same way that we might enjoy a white wine spritzer on a sunny day, this is their equivalent, but with red wine.
It's often made with either gaseosa soda or lemonade and the name translated means summer red wine.
This is probably the closest to the sangria that we Brits know and love when we head abroad, but a little bit less alcoholic and so better for keeping hydrated in the heat without risking a hangover.
Most Spanish restaurants will serve it, including popular ones like Al-Andalus Tapas Bar in Oxford or The Ginger Pig in London.
Hopefully the warm weather is here to stay for a while now it's finally arrived, so you can't really go wrong with trying out Spain's top tipples to find your favourite.
It's a little taste of the Med but without even leaving your own back garden.
In the mean time, we've found the cheapest places for an Aperol Spritz in Europe.
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