Tapas is a brilliant way to sample some tasty Spanish cuisine and bring back those happy holiday memories of al fresco dining in the sunshine. The small sharing dishes are ideally suited to be consumed with alcohol, and this makes the experience all the more fun and sociable.
Here are suggestions on the best drinks to choose to accompany your tapas.
Wine
Spain is rightly renowned for its fine wines, and it is a natural choice to accompany tapas food. For lighter seafood dishes, choose a cava or white wine such as albariño or godello. These wines are good for balancing out heavier fried dishes. A good tapas restaurant will no doubt have a good selection of wines to choose from.
For richer and meatier dishes, red wine is the traditional choice to balance out the contrasting flavours and qualities of food and alcohol. You can’t go far wrong with a Spanish red rioja, which tastes rich and fruity. For something a little bit different to what you might usually drink, you could try a manzanilla sherry or an amontillado or fino sherry.
Beer
Beer is a favourite beverage for any occasion, and it can suit tapas dining very well. For spicy dishes, go for pale ales. If your order features a lot of red meat and strong rich flavours, go for a red or brown ale.
Cocktails
The go-to Spanish cocktail is of course classic sangria, the favourite fruity punch that goes well with all types of tapas food. It’s made from a light red wine, brandy, lemonade, and chopped mixed fruit, typically strawberries, oranges, and peaches. Perfect to capture the easy going vibe of a summer holiday with your friends.
For another cocktail that is summery and easy to drink, you could try a Spanish favourite, the kalimotxo. This is simply a blend of red wine and Coke, which sounds rather unlikely but goes well with a wide range of foods.
For foods with stronger flavours, the Cuba libre (free Cuba) is a great choice. It was created during the Spanish-US war and is made from dark rum, Coca Cola and a slice of lime.
For something a little bit different, you could try the rebujito. This is an Andalusian cocktail that is created from sherry and lemon and lime soda with a mint garnish. It is well suited to lighter poultry and fish dishes.
Classic cocktails such as gin and tonic, margarita, and the mojito are also excellent choices to go with the aromatic and spicy flavours that are typical of many tapas dishes.
Non alcoholic drinks
If you don’t drink or are driving, there’s no need to stick to water or traditional soft drinks during your meal. Many restaurants also now offer great non-alcoholic wines, beers, and cocktails (or mocktails), which are just as sophisticated and full of flavour as the alcoholic versions.
If you are looking for a Spanish restaurant in Islington, please get in touch with us today.