Thirsty Jueves: Rebujito

Last Friday, we went down to the beach to enjoy the sunset with some beverages and snacks.

We packed up the ingredients to make rebujitos - the unofficially official beverage of feria, but also a refreshing drink for summer.

The most important ingredient (there are only 2, unless you count ice) is manzanilla. Manzanilla is a type of sherry - let's stop right there. We know what you're thinking. Gross, the stuff that you keep in the kitchen and hardly ever use, unless you're from Maryland and you put it in your cream of crab soup. Unrelated note: Marylanders are weird and particular when it comes to crab products. 

But that is not Spanish sherry and definitely not manzanilla. Manzanilla is a dry sherry and can only be made in the town of Sanlucar de Barrameda, home of the beach horse races. Because it is produced so close to the sea, people say that there is a faint salty taste to it. And more importantly, it's delicious. 

So, moving on. To find manzanilla outside of Spain, you're probably going to have to hit up a classier or more well-stocked wine store (read: not 7-11 or the "Walmarts").   

The next part is easy: Combine equal parts sherry and 7-Up soda over ice. Yes, the Spanish do seem to have a thing for mixing wines and soda (Tempranillo and lemon Fanta is the summertime favorite "tinto con limon") but they know what they are doing.

We used mason jars for our rebujitos, because we're a little bit country, a little bit rock 'n roll a lot American, a tiny bit Spanish. And they are nice and sturdy for the beach. You can use whatever glasses you have on hand - a tumbler would be perfect, just remember to keep it simple and not fancy.

 The rebujitos paired nicely with cheese, crackers, olives, grapes, and the late summer sunset. 

Just a word of caution - as we mentioned at the beginning of this post, this is the beverage that hydrates fuels feria, whose late nights are legendary. Legen...dary. You have been warned. ¡Salud!