6.7.06

The horror, the horror!!!


Today the Sanfermines kick off. Arguably, Spain´s most famous fiestas, thanks to Ernest Hemingway, and full of topics and archetypes.

With them begins the real summer, and the insult to taste and decency that takes place all over the country. Our very own little contribution to shocking horror.

And no, folks, I don´t mean bullfighting. That´s way too controversial a subject for this tiny blog.
I´m talking about calimocho. Or kalimotxo if you prefer.

It´s the Summer Hall of Horrors number one drink. Put it this way; if sangría and tinto de verano were Jedi knights, then kalimotxo would be firmly entrenched in the Dark Side.
It´s a mixture of red wine and Coca-Cola, and if that doesn´t make your stomach heave, I don´t know what will. It seems to produce that effect in the people who drink it, judging by the state of the streets the day after.

I wonder what Hemingway would have made of it. He seems to have had a good taste in drinks, so I´m guessing he´d have gone away in disgust, and written about some other popular festivity.
And now all the wild young backpackers out for a thrill would be jumping over bonfires in Menorca, or racing horses in Sanlucar.
And drinking kalimotxo, of course.

12 comentarios:

Anónimo dijo...

Hmm, you see here I have to disagree: I spent a year drinking practically nothing but kalimotxo in Bilbao and was never compelled to throw myself in front of a charging bull or jump headfirst into a shallow fountain... Not to mention that I actually found it quite good!

Anónimo dijo...

lol, and here i thought the horror was going to bethe hoards of pasty German and English tourists about to descend upon your fair country to shout and bluster about, baking themselves in the sun, blocking the sidewalks and hogging tables at the cafes ;-)

Raquel dijo...
Este comentario ha sido eliminado por un administrador del blog.
lobstersquad dijo...

Hi there
Melissa, it takes some kinds, what can I say?
Ann: I´d never be so rude! This horror is of our very own making. The tourists like it very well, though, so I´m the only one complaining, as usual.:)

Raquel dijo...

I love red wine.
I rarely drink Coke.
I don´t see myself mixing both.

Today´s pic is great!

Anónimo dijo...

Hi!

I hate absolutely bullfighting and, of course, the Sanfermines but I looooove today's drawing. I hope the only pic of the Sanfermines we'll see next year is yours. Thank you for it!

Helena

Anónimo dijo...

I can't even imagine such a concoction... yikes!

I too want to commend you on today's drawing - the runners are fantastic!

Anónimo dijo...

That sounds like a truly unlikely combination. But not intriguingly so. More along the lines of, what would ever make a person try such a thing.

lobstersquad dijo...

Guru, Helena, Julie , Gilly:
It´s a terrible drink, even if it has a lot of fans. And I like Coke, I´m not being a fundamentalist. I just think each on their own is how they´re meant to be.

Anónimo dijo...

I know a few girls who came back from Spain and tried to convince me that there, mixing red wine and coke was perfectly acceptable--I have to admit, I feel validated by your post!

Anónimo dijo...

Cuando voy a un restaurant lo primero que pido es una coca light con mucho hielo y limón. Cuando traen el tinto tengo que reconocer que me paso la comida o la cena alternado trago de coca, trago de vino, trago de coca, trago de vino... Perdón.

Anónimo dijo...

There's an enchanting tapas restaurant in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York called Tía Pol that serves a calimocho dessert made of red wine sorbet floating in Coke. I have to admit I didn't try it, but most people who do seem to love it. Like you, I'm happy sticking with tinto de verano.

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