CGS

On the ice in GTs question, in my family gin and tonics are a long established pre-dinner drink of choice at family gatherings (Bombay Sapphire is the favorite gin) and my brothers go so far as to make the ice cubes from tonic! Then the cubes don't dilute the drink as they melt. And we do use lots of ice - a full glass.

Looking forward to experiencing the GT culture in Spain this fall (but will not expect to find tonic ice cubes!)

kimhe

CGS

bilboburgler

This is getting a little crazy, Northern Spain has two major wine growing regions plus a bunch of smaller ones and you are drinking G&Ts.

Focus, and get those Gran Reservas at E5 a glass down your neck. Muga not bad but Pomal drinking well a few weeks back.

annhig

well said, bilbo.

but then, I don't like gin!

Bedar

We went off gin many years ago but were lured into buying a bottle of Hendrick's by this thread !! An interesting gin, but we are preferring it without ice, straight up, or with club soda. Who knew there were so many boutoque tonic waters. Once we try Q brand, think we'll go back to vodka for spirits along with our usual wines and beer. Just a caution, if you get an itch for gin in Spain, NEVER drink Larios. It will make you sick and give a hearty hangover. Same for Green Fish and other off brands.

mikelg

Larios 12 is quite good...nothing to do with standard Larios. Over 250 premium brands in Spain, my favorite still Bombay Sapphire. Iced ice cubes (yes, very "iced") so they don´t melt quickly, some limon peeling and Schweppes tonic...a turn of your wrist for the perfect mix...and a good conversation.

By the way, bilboburgler, you can get a glass of crianza wine at 1,60eur and a very good reserva at around 2,30eur per glass, 5eur would be too expensive (maybe it´s a hotel bar price, but not a standard bar price). And carbonic maceration wine at under 3eur a bottle, a bargain for great year wine.

bilboburgler

"By the way, bilboburgler, you can get a glass of crianza wine at 1,60eur and a very good reserva at around 2,30eur per glass, 5eur would be too expensive (maybe it´s a hotel bar price, but not a standard bar price). And carbonic maceration wine at under 3eur a bottle, a bargain for great year wine."

mike, I know, that is why I was paying E5 so that I was not drinking "very good reserva" but much better. Just to be clear I was also drinking reserva at E2.5 and E2.0 but in the same way I seldom drink crianza any more I'd rather drink gran res than reserva

annhig

I always knew that you were a class act, bilbo.

Bedar

It sounds as though Spain is undergoing its own Gin Craze. I wonder if it has its own Hogarth to chronicle it. Larios 12 may be OK, but the very name makes me feel sick. Stick with Bombay Sapphire !! Many years ago when there were no limes in Spain, my ex's cousin wanted to start orchards of the fruit in Almunecar (basically for his and other fanatics' drinks) but was too lazy to get that going. Too much gin, I fear.

Cowboy1968

Since we have the local experts around, one question bugs me since our last vacation in Barcelona last month:

We wanted to make Vodka Lemon at our temporary home in Barcelona. Vodka Lemon is usually made with a bitter lemonade as mixer.
But at the supermarkets we only found Schweppes Limón (or other brands) which is not the same as Schweppes Bitter Lemon but more like Sprite.

Q: Is bitter lemonade not available, or was our neighborhood supermarket just too small to have it?

Bokhara2

The things I learn on Fodors! I'd never heard of Larios gin ( I'm a Tanqueray or Bombay Saphire girl).

Saw Larios in my local (Sydney) wine & spirits shop yesterday & was able to sniff knowledgeably & derisively, thanks to my fellow Fodorites' discussing it here

I like my G&T cold, no ice. Lemon or Lime.

mikelg

Yes, you can find Schweppes bitter lemonade, in most supermarkets

ribeirasacra

Perhaps is is because it is called Lemon Dry?
http://www.schweppes.es

kleeblatt

Thanks for the list, OP. Local observations are always worth their weight in gold.

IMDonehere

i often played gin rummy in Spain.

meuniere

http://dallas.suntimes.com/entertain...-fried-chicken
Thank the Internet for this Spanish song about fried chicken, they love it!!!!!!

kleeblatt

People mixing soda pop with wine/beer:

- gespritze weiss wein (half white wine/half sparkling wine or 7up)
- Panache: half 7Up and half beer (is that a Radler in Austria?)

Both drinks are perfectly acceptable in Switzerland.

No ice in either though.

mikelg

Radler is quite popular now in Spain and all major beer brands offer it, even on tap. Kalimotxo is the other popular wine, but it´s not normally sold in a bottle, you mix it yourself (wine and Coke...with ice and maybe a slice of lemon)

Revulgo

Mikelg, I'm born in the Basque Country but living in Madrid since more than 50 years; after reading this, I do nothing but think of that old song: "pollo asao, asao, con ensalaaada, buen menú, buen menú … ), you know, that good old times when "pintxos" were merely basic "banderillas" and I was so young....

danon

noticeed two coffee "take out " signs near Passeig de Gracia today.

( North American ) tourists win !