What to drink in Spain II

[ShellsG]

I wanted to follow up on a post I saw a few months ago, but now I can't find it! I did my best to eat and drink like the locals, and so made a few discoveries (discoveries to me, at least) along the way. For those wanting to break free from the typical pilgrim *beer / rioja cycle, try these:

Coffee

Standard coffee terms are café con leche (we all know this one), cortado (espresso with a little bit of heated milk), café solo (a shot of espresso), solo doble (double shot of espresso). That last term is so simple, but it took awhile for me to figure out.


Coffee for pros

A carajillo is a shot of espresso mixed with brandy. I saw this mostly in the Basque areas, where they would heat up the brandy in the espresso machine before adding it to the coffee. The old men advised me to have one around 10 am, as it gives you "a little courage" for the day. This was less common as we moved west.


Afternoons

Patxaran (Spanish: pacharán) is a Basque liquor flavored with sloe berries, usually served over ice. Every bar had it in La Rioja and Navarre, though it also became less common as we moved west.

Anís is similar to other anise-flavored drinks in France and Spain. Was more common towards Galicia. At least, I first noticed it in that area.

Cerveza con limón. By the third hot day in Spain we had all discovered how good a cerveza con limón was after a long day's walk. Mahou Limón is the pre-made brand, though it's better freshly made.

.
Wine

As one French peregrino noted, the Spanish do horrible things to wine. Specifically, almost every bar serves their red wine chilled. We might have had some great reds along the way, but chilling it masks all the flavor. Ah well. Moving into Galicia, though, there are some interesting reds to try. Albariño is nice and crisp, and I think is more well known now. New to me was godello, which was a floral wine with just enough acidity to give it some depth. It pairs nicely with Gallego food!

In León I discovered Spanish vermut, which is served on the rocks or in a martini glass. It's not a mixer like in other countries! There are tapas bars dedicated to vermouth, and a lot have their own house brands. Apparently good vermouth is the new trendy drink in Madrid.


Chupitos

A chupito is an after-dinner shot. I didn't learn the word until my final week, though I had been hearing it and not quite catching what people were saying.

In Castilla y León & Galicia, at least, a chupito means a shot of arujo, which is like grappa. It's fire water! You can have some added to your coffee, or just have a shot after dinner. It's really, really strong, so drink carefully.

I had an interesting experience one night when I asked for a brandy after dinner. The bartender asked me what kind, and I didn't know. He pulled out three bottles. The first had a picture of a bull. "This is what pilgrims drink," he told me, "because it's the cheapest." The third was a top-shelf brand. That one was for the tourists. The middle bottle, he said, is what we (locals) drink. I took the middle bottle. I wish I remembered the name.

Finally, there was a yellow herbal liqueur that I cannot remember the name of & that other peregrinos told me was good. I forgot about it and never tried it.


*not that there's anything wrong with beer and rioja.

** I'm not fluent at all in Spanish, so feel free to add any nuances or corrections!

 

[ShellsG]

In my experience, a red wine is best served slightly below room temperature. When the room temperature is 35C then a room temperature wine would be, to me, unpleasantly warm. I do not find it uncommon for red wine to be chilled throughout many European countries. I prefer a chilled red wine that I can warm in my hands in a glass (as you do with a brandy) to an overly warm glass of wine that has been sitting at "room temperature" all day.

 

[Lunchmeat337]

View attachment 37384

I am sorry that I have to agree with this assessment. It is such a cool idea having an outside dispenser of wine. But in this case, if you had never had wine before in your life, this wine would cure you of ever drinking wine again. Maybe I just hit a bad day as MichaelC did. Maybe they mixed up the line that was to go to the sewer with the one to the dispenser. Who knows?

In any case, by all means stop and take a picture of the dispenser because again it is such a cool idea. Take a taste, but for heavens sake, don't fill up one of your water bottles with it.

I agree, however, with a year of aging it may improve.

 

[Turga]

When the room temperature is 35C then a room temperature wine would be, to me, unpleasantly warm.

Agree!

Anyway, the notion of ‘wine at room temperature’ is relative. I have read that in Europe it originally stems from old days, when room temperature was more like 16-17C and not the 22-23C, which is the norm today. I prefer red wine at about 18-19C. White wine chilled.

 

[easygoing]

I wanted to follow up on a post I saw a few months ago, but now I can't find it! I did my best to eat and drink like the locals, and so made a few discoveries (discoveries to me, at least) along the way. For those wanting to break free from the typical pilgrim *beer / rioja cycle, try these:

Coffee

Standard coffee terms are café con leche (we all know this one), cortado (espresso with a little bit of heated milk), café solo (a shot of espresso), solo doble (double shot of espresso). That last term is so simple, but it took awhile for me to figure out.


Coffee for pros

A carajillo is a shot of espresso mixed with brandy. I saw this mostly in the Basque areas, where they would heat up the brandy in the espresso machine before adding it to the coffee. The old men advised me to have one around 10 am, as it gives you "a little courage" for the day. This was less common as we moved west.


Afternoons

Patxaran (Spanish: pacharán) is a Basque liquor flavored with sloe berries, usually served over ice. Every bar had it in La Rioja and Navarre, though it also became less common as we moved west.

Anís is similar to other anise-flavored drinks in France and Spain. Was more common towards Galicia. At least, I first noticed it in that area.

Cerveza con limón. By the third hot day in Spain we had all discovered how good a cerveza con limón was after a long day's walk. Mahou Limón is the pre-made brand, though it's better freshly made.

.
Wine

As one French peregrino noted, the Spanish do horrible things to wine. Specifically, almost every bar serves their red wine chilled. We might have had some great reds along the way, but chilling it masks all the flavor. Ah well. Moving into Galicia, though, there are some interesting reds to try. Albariño is nice and crisp, and I think is more well known now. New to me was godello, which was a floral wine with just enough acidity to give it some depth. It pairs nicely with Gallego food!

In León I discovered Spanish vermut, which is served on the rocks or in a martini glass. It's not a mixer like in other countries! There are tapas bars dedicated to vermouth, and a lot have their own house brands. Apparently good vermouth is the new trendy drink in Madrid.


Chupitos

A chupito is an after-dinner shot. I didn't learn the word until my final week, though I had been hearing it and not quite catching what people were saying.

In Castilla y León & Galicia, at least, a chupito means a shot of arujo, which is like grappa. It's fire water! You can have some added to your coffee, or just have a shot after dinner. It's really, really strong, so drink carefully.

I had an interesting experience one night when I asked for a brandy after dinner. The bartender asked me what kind, and I didn't know. He pulled out three bottles. The first had a picture of a bull. "This is what pilgrims drink," he told me, "because it's the cheapest." The third was a top-shelf brand. That one was for the tourists. The middle bottle, he said, is what we (locals) drink. I took the middle bottle. I wish I remembered the name.

Finally, there was a yellow herbal liqueur that I cannot remember the name of & that other peregrinos told me was good. I forgot about it and never tried it.


*not that there's anything wrong with beer and rioja.

** I'm not fluent at all in Spanish, so feel free to add any nuances or corrections!

The yellow one is liquor de hierbas. It is served after dinner. The locals smile when I order it. And sometimes they are so pleased they gift it to me. The other drink not on your list is Tinto verana con limon. This is great in hot weather. It is made of red wine, limon soda and lots of ice. Even my snobbish daughter said it was surprisingly good. A side note-- I enjoy the cold red wine. And I drink cafe solo. Don't be surprised when they ask you if you really want that. Locals are used to Americans drinking big cups of coffee and cafe solo is served in a tiny cup.

 

[Deleted member 56069]

Agree!

Anyway, the notion of ‘wine at room temperature’ is relative. I have read that in Europe it originally stems from old days, when room temperature was more like 16-17C and not the 22-23C, which is the norm today. I prefer red wine at about 18-19C. White wine chilled.

Most white wine is served too cold and red wine is often served too warm.

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

First, as peregrinos / peregrinas, are we not to live simply? Is it not obvious, also when seeking the pilgrim menu that a 100 euro bottle of wine will not be part of that offering? LOL

Next, if the goal is to drink what the locals drink, ask the locals. They will tell you what their preference is, then go for it. Just ask, "
¿Qué prefieres beber?" Use a very soft, light "r" and pronounce all the vowels and they will understand.

The yellow liquor mentioned at the end is, "orujo envejecido."

Last, it is not required, but the more you learn of the language of the land you are visiting, the easier it is to move and be recognized as a person who is not only learned but also respects the country and its peoples. In return, your visit has the potential to be a richer and much more enjoyable experience.

Oops, nearly forgot. In a hot region like Spain, any means of cooling off is welcomed, including adding ice and "limon" to red wine.

Hope this helps.

 

[Desert Bruce]

Thank you MichaelC, I copied your list. I will try to sample everything on it when I am back in Santiago volunteering at the Pilgrim House in May 2018.

Buen Camino

 

[Deleted member 56069]

Yeah, I like wine a little bit...

 

[Deleted member 67338]

In my experience, a red wine is best served slightly below room temperature. When the room temperature is 35C then a room temperature wine would be, to me, unpleasantly warm. I do not find it uncommon for red wine to be chilled throughout many European countries. I prefer a chilled red wine that I can warm in my hands in a glass (as you do with a brandy) to an overly warm glass of wine that has been sitting at "room temperature" all day.

Love it chilled but in saying that I always have bottles in the cellar ready for people with different drinking habits

 

[Older Guy]

I've read that the bodega used to put decent wine in the fountain, so that pilgrims could stop by and have a glass. So many were filling their bottles with it, instead of just having one drink, that they stopped and now just put in the swill. I can't blame them, really. It's a shame, because it was a great idea.

I got to the bodega early in the morning and by the time I got there the wine for the day was almost gone. I also know that some tour buses stop there and let the bus traveling pilgrims have a glass and get a picture taken.

Still, it was kind of a fun and historic connection to the past.

 

[Leadell]

If you're a tea drinker, you're pretty much screwed. I only found a few places that had proper black tea. Green tea was slightly more available but still not common.
I became very good at asking if Cafes had tea, but only about 1 in 20 or less answered yes.

As a tea drinker I can vouch for the availability and excellence of camomile tea everywhere in Spain. All you have to know is that it’s called ‘Manzanilla’.

 

[Juspassinthru]

I wanted to follow up on a post I saw a few months ago, but now I can't find it! I did my best to eat and drink like the locals, and so made a few discoveries (discoveries to me, at least) along the way. For those wanting to break free from the typical pilgrim *beer / rioja cycle, try these:

Coffee

Standard coffee terms are café con leche (we all know this one), cortado (espresso with a little bit of heated milk), café solo (a shot of espresso), solo doble (double shot of espresso). That last term is so simple, but it took awhile for me to figure out.


Coffee for pros

A carajillo is a shot of espresso mixed with brandy. I saw this mostly in the Basque areas, where they would heat up the brandy in the espresso machine before adding it to the coffee. The old men advised me to have one around 10 am, as it gives you "a little courage" for the day. This was less common as we moved west.


Afternoons

Patxaran (Spanish: pacharán) is a Basque liquor flavored with sloe berries, usually served over ice. Every bar had it in La Rioja and Navarre, though it also became less common as we moved west.

Anís is similar to other anise-flavored drinks in France and Spain. Was more common towards Galicia. At least, I first noticed it in that area.

Cerveza con limón. By the third hot day in Spain we had all discovered how good a cerveza con limón was after a long day's walk. Mahou Limón is the pre-made brand, though it's better freshly made.

.
Wine

As one French peregrino noted, the Spanish do horrible things to wine. Specifically, almost every bar serves their red wine chilled. We might have had some great reds along the way, but chilling it masks all the flavor. Ah well. Moving into Galicia, though, there are some interesting reds to try. Albariño is nice and crisp, and I think is more well known now. New to me was godello, which was a floral wine with just enough acidity to give it some depth. It pairs nicely with Gallego food!

In León I discovered Spanish vermut, which is served on the rocks or in a martini glass. It's not a mixer like in other countries! There are tapas bars dedicated to vermouth, and a lot have their own house brands. Apparently good vermouth is the new trendy drink in Madrid.


Chupitos

A chupito is an after-dinner shot. I didn't learn the word until my final week, though I had been hearing it and not quite catching what people were saying.

In Castilla y León & Galicia, at least, a chupito means a shot of arujo, which is like grappa. It's fire water! You can have some added to your coffee, or just have a shot after dinner. It's really, really strong, so drink carefully.

I had an interesting experience one night when I asked for a brandy after dinner. The bartender asked me what kind, and I didn't know. He pulled out three bottles. The first had a picture of a bull. "This is what pilgrims drink," he told me, "because it's the cheapest." The third was a top-shelf brand. That one was for the tourists. The middle bottle, he said, is what we (locals) drink. I took the middle bottle. I wish I remembered the name.

Finally, there was a yellow herbal liqueur that I cannot remember the name of & that other peregrinos told me was good. I forgot about it and never tried it.


*not that there's anything wrong with beer and rioja.

** I'm not fluent at all in Spanish, so feel free to add any nuances or corrections!

Great info, I found a cold Estella Galicia when I finished each day and what ever wine was local with dinner seemed to work well. Wine in a bottle, not the ones refilled, was rarely cold.
Buen Camino.

 

[Terri B]

As a tea drinker I can vouch for the availability and excellence of camomile tea everywhere in Spain. All you have to know is that it’s called ‘Manzanilla’.

Like I said Leadell, proper black tea. I don't drink fruit teas. When out in the sticks I couldn't find Te Negra con leche fria any where. The cities were better, especially a little place near the cathedral in Burgos.

 

[jpflavin1]

I wanted to follow up on a post I saw a few months ago, but now I can't find it! I did my best to eat and drink like the locals, and so made a few discoveries (discoveries to me, at least) along the way. For those wanting to break free from the typical pilgrim *beer / rioja cycle, try these:

Coffee

Standard coffee terms are café con leche (we all know this one), cortado (espresso with a little bit of heated milk), café solo (a shot of espresso), solo doble (double shot of espresso). That last term is so simple, but it took awhile for me to figure out.


Coffee for pros

A carajillo is a shot of espresso mixed with brandy. I saw this mostly in the Basque areas, where they would heat up the brandy in the espresso machine before adding it to the coffee. The old men advised me to have one around 10 am, as it gives you "a little courage" for the day. This was less common as we moved west.


Afternoons

Patxaran (Spanish: pacharán) is a Basque liquor flavored with sloe berries, usually served over ice. Every bar had it in La Rioja and Navarre, though it also became less common as we moved west.

Anís is similar to other anise-flavored drinks in France and Spain. Was more common towards Galicia. At least, I first noticed it in that area.

Cerveza con limón. By the third hot day in Spain we had all discovered how good a cerveza con limón was after a long day's walk. Mahou Limón is the pre-made brand, though it's better freshly made.

.
Wine

As one French peregrino noted, the Spanish do horrible things to wine. Specifically, almost every bar serves their red wine chilled. We might have had some great reds along the way, but chilling it masks all the flavor. Ah well. Moving into Galicia, though, there are some interesting reds to try. Albariño is nice and crisp, and I think is more well known now. New to me was godello, which was a floral wine with just enough acidity to give it some depth. It pairs nicely with Gallego food!

In León I discovered Spanish vermut, which is served on the rocks or in a martini glass. It's not a mixer like in other countries! There are tapas bars dedicated to vermouth, and a lot have their own house brands. Apparently good vermouth is the new trendy drink in Madrid.


Chupitos

A chupito is an after-dinner shot. I didn't learn the word until my final week, though I had been hearing it and not quite catching what people were saying.

In Castilla y León & Galicia, at least, a chupito means a shot of arujo, which is like grappa. It's fire water! You can have some added to your coffee, or just have a shot after dinner. It's really, really strong, so drink carefully.

I had an interesting experience one night when I asked for a brandy after dinner. The bartender asked me what kind, and I didn't know. He pulled out three bottles. The first had a picture of a bull. "This is what pilgrims drink," he told me, "because it's the cheapest." The third was a top-shelf brand. That one was for the tourists. The middle bottle, he said, is what we (locals) drink. I took the middle bottle. I wish I remembered the name.

Finally, there was a yellow herbal liqueur that I cannot remember the name of & that other peregrinos told me was good. I forgot about it and never tried it.


*not that there's anything wrong with beer and rioja.

** I'm not fluent at all in Spanish, so feel free to add any nuances or corrections!

The Herbal yellow/green Liqueur is an Herbal Orujo (Heirbas). They also have a Crema which is like Bailys.

 

[Prentiss Riddle]

I was talking to two Spanish couples the other day, and they said it was a saying in Spain:

Si vas a España y no bebes vino, ¿por qué vas a España?

If you go to Spain and don't drink wine, why do you go to Spain?

¡Para tomar pacharán!

 

[Mark Temple]

Red wine is mostly chilled because bottles often spend some time open, and the lower the temperature, the slower the rate of oxidation. Simples! Of course it may also be seen as a positive in summer, and given that most red wine should be drunk at between 15 and 18 degrees it is indeed essential when the ambient temperature is over 30! Personally I have never, in many years in Spain, found a GOOD red wine - and I don't mean a cheap tinto! - overchilled. Of course, with the vogue for fresh mountain/Atlantic-style reds, chilling is almost essential except when it's fairly cold - you wouldn't want Ribeira Sacra Mencía at ambient temperature in summer!

As for the gaseosa, it's years since I've seen that too. I obviously don't eat in cheap restaurants in out-o-the-way places enough

 

[Gareth Griffith]

Cuaranta y tres is Spanish for 43. It is, as only two people so far have mentioned, an absolutely fabulous drink. Neat or as part of a cocktail, it is one drink that you should try. I've been round the factory where they make it. I've seen the production lines in full throttle. There will still be plenty left for the Spaniards if you take a bottle home.
The herbias drink (you can buy at most supermarkets is good too) but an acquired taste. I've acquired that taste!
Pacheran is a bit like alcoholic cough medicine but something I recommend you have a go at. Buy a bottle and share it round the albergue.
There was a bar that I visited in Pontferrada that had a selection of three wines of the week chalked up on his blackboard. I tried each of them and was offered a free tapas with each one. The bloke behind the bar spoke only Spanish but I could tell he was trying to explain that each wine was better than that Rioja stuff! If you're nearby, and want a treat, here's a link to it:

https://www.tripadvisor.es/Restaura...errada_Province_of_Leon_Castile_and_Leon.html

The cafe carajillo is simply wonderful if you been trekking through the rain all morning., learn how to prounounce it properly before ordering. The J is pronounced as a K in this instance (as in Rioja) and the LL is pronounced as a Y as in Marbella.

Don't be afraid to try any of the Spanish drinks or the tapas!

Bear in mind that for people in the UK being used to paying exhorbitant amounts of tax on their wine the Spanish bottle at 1€ in the supermarket would be £6 in Tesco!

 

[HedaP]

I owe you guys a debt of gratitude. Wandering around the local bottle shop in the regional town where I live in rural Australia looking without much hope for a nice Spanish end of year gift for my Spanish teacher when what to my wondering eyes should appear but...a lovely golden bottle of cuarenta y tres. And I could buy it secure in the knowledge that it was good!

 

[Kanga]

@HedaP we have lucked out with some very good Spanish wine from Aldi! Worth checking out.

 

[Bradypus]

@HedaP we have lucked out with some very good Spanish wine from Aldi! Worth checking out.

My nearest supermarket here in the UK is an Aldi and I have been very pleasantly surprised with its stock recently. A quince tree I planted several years ago fruited for the first time this year and I have made quite a lot of membrillo. I can now buy Manchego cheese and a decent Rioja to go with it 15 minutes walk from my house. The centrepiece of my Christmas dinner table this year will be a whole Serrano ham which I bought there last week - although I had only gone in for some coffee. There will be a Spanish theme going on for part of our celebrations

 

[HedaP]

My nearest supermarket here in the UK is an Aldi and I have been very pleasantly surprised with its stock recently. A quince tree I planted several years ago fruited for the first time this year and I have made quite a lot of membrillo. I can now buy Manchego cheese and a decent Rioja to go with it 15 minutes walk from my house. The centrepiece of my Christmas dinner table this year will be a whole Serrano ham which I bought there last week - although I had only gone in for some coffee. There will be a Spanish theme going on for part of our celebrations

 

[Prentiss Riddle]

The cafe carajillo is simply wonderful if you been trekking through the rain all morning., learn how to prounounce it properly before ordering. The J is pronounced as a K in this instance (as in Rioja) and the LL is pronounced as a Y as in Marbella.

You learn something new every day. I've been a non-native Spanish speaker for 40 years now and I've experienced a lot of different Spanish accents but I've never ever ever heard of a J pronounced as a K.

Turns out, though, that some British people turn the H sound into K when they anglicize Spanish vocabulary. At least, that's what Wiktionary says they do to the word Rioja.

I've found Spanish to be a lovely language, well worth a lifetime of study. But British English? That's much too hard a language for me.

 

[trecile]

You learn something new every day. I've been a non-native Spanish speaker for 40 years now and I've experienced a lot of different Spanish accents but I've never ever ever heard of a J pronounced as a K.

Turns out, though, that some British people turn the H sound into K when they anglicize Spanish vocabulary. At least, that's what Wiktionary says they do to the word Rioja.

I've found Spanish to be a lovely language, well worth a lifetime of study. But British English? That's much too hard a language for me.

I've never heard a J pronounced as a K either. I can't even imagine how that would sound.
Okay, I've answered my own question: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/pronunciation/english/rioja
That's certainly not how Spanish speakers pronounce it.
I would go with this pronunciation: http://www.spanishdict.com/translate/la rioja

And here's how you pronounce carajillo in Spanish: http://www.spanishdict.com/translate/carajillo

 

[Bradypus]

Turns out, though, that some British people turn the H sound into K when they anglicize Spanish vocabulary. At least, that's what Wiktionary says they do to the word Rioja.

I am Scottish. We Scots generally have no problem with the rolling "r" in Spanish or the "j" being pronounced like a 'H' or 'ch'. Not unlike the Scots word 'loch' meaning a lake. English people - especially those from the south of the country - often find a soft gutteral 'ch' hard to pronounce and end up saying things like 'LocK Lomond' or 'LocK Ness'. No surprise if the same happens when they pronounce some Spanish words.

British English pronunciation is often very strange and inconsistent. I'm often amazed that any non-native speaker ever grasps it at all Famously it was once demonstrated that by taking parts of other English words with unlikely pronunciation it was quite feasible to spell the word "fish" g-h-o-t-i

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Famously it was once demonstrated that by taking parts of other English words with unlikely pronunciation it was quite feasible to spell the word "fish" g-h-o-t-i

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghoti

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I am Scottish. We Scots generally have no problem with the rolling "r" in Spanish or the "j" being pronounced like a 'H' or 'ch'. Not unlike the Scots word 'loch' meaning a lake. English people - especially those from the south of the country - often find a soft gutteral 'ch' hard to pronounce and end up saying things like 'LocK Lomond' or 'LocK Ness'. No surprise if the same happens when they pronounce some Spanish words.

British English pronunciation is often very strange and inconsistent. I'm often amazed that any non-native speaker ever grasps it at all Famously it was once demonstrated that by taking parts of other English words with unlikely pronunciation it was quite feasible to spell the word "fish" g-h-o-t-i

I've only heard of the LocK Ness monster.

 

[Prentiss Riddle]

I've never heard a J pronounced as a K either. I can't even imagine how that would sound.
Okay, I've answered my own question: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/pronunciation/english/rioja
That's certainly not how Spanish speakers pronounce it.
I would go with this pronunciation: http://www.spanishdict.com/translate/la rioja

And here's the sound of my jaw hitting the floor after I heard the British pronunciation in that first link. ¡Ay caramba!

 

[trecile]

I promise to never say lock for loch if Brits will promise not to say rioka!

 

[JillGat]

No one mentioned mixing red wine with coca cola, a drink I was told was favored by the Basque. I tried it... once. I don't remember red wine served chilled unless it was tinto de verano or sangria. For a non-alcoholic refresher, I preferred Fanta limon, but would accept Kas. Fanta limon, for some unknown reason, is not sold in the United States. So I have to go to Central and South America or Spain for this soft drink.

I happened to arrive in Logrono during the fall wine festival. All the 20-somethings were drinking wine and Coca cola, throwing up and pissing in the streets. It was very disheartening.

Re. chilling red wine, it is at least better to chill it than to let it get too warm. The best temperature to serve red wine is about 65F/18C. If I'm having a glass of wine with dinner or after a long walk (as opposed to doing that sniff/sip with little finger raised tasting), I don't notice much if it's a little colder than that.

 

[trecile]

I happened to arrive in Logrono during the fall wine festival. All the 20-somethings were drinking wine and Coca cola, throwing up and pissing in the streets. It was very disheartening.

They would have been throwing up and pissing in the streets regardless of what they drank.

 

[Krista Catlady]

Well, this is helpful! As I enter in my first official week of retirement and begin to plan my Fall 2018 Camino, it seems a wise decision to build my carajillo tolerance.

Thanks for the great tips!

 

[Carlos Santiago]

I've never heard a J pronounced as a K either. I can't even imagine how that would sound.
Okay, I've answered my own question: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/pronunciation/english/rioja

And here's the sound of my jaw hitting the floor after I heard the British pronunciation in that first link. ¡Ay caramba!

I thought at first the "K" pronunciation of J would sound like the Russian "X" as in "ХОРОШО" [good]- pronounced like the end of the German "Ich"; hkha-ra-sho ... but upon hearing it from @trecile 's link ...
there goes my jaw too.

 

[JabbaPapa]

Cerveza con limón. By the third hot day in Spain we had all discovered how good a cerveza con limón was after a long day's walk. Mahou Limón is the pre-made brand, though it's better freshly made.

hmmm, actually the best possible version of this is simply to add some freshly squeezed lemon juice to your chilled cerveza. Works absolutely fabulously BTW with a meatier German ale.

I would NOT drink one of these made with any industrial sugary lemon syrup !!!

As one French peregrino noted, the Spanish do horrible things to wine. Specifically, almost every bar serves their red wine chilled.

If they're complaining about this, then they're French who don't even know their own wines ...

Also, it's untrue that "almost every bar serves their red wine chilled" -- certainly NOT in La Rioja !!!!

But pretty much all Galician reds need to be served chilled, and as for the Castilian ones, well, chilled or at room temperature would depend greatly on matters of both vintage and weather.

Much of Spanish wine anyway is better cool, at least, if not chilled as such, in the summer heat.

Oh and several French reds, including BTW the original still red wine of Champagne, must be drunk chilled.

 

[JabbaPapa]

The only truly awful wine I had was at that wine fountain at Bodegas Irache. That was pure vinegar. I don't know how people were drinking it.

People are spoilt by vintages that are artificially sweetened by the process of adding sugar or syrup to industrially increase the alcohol content of a wine.

Most pure wines have a degree of fruity bitterness to them from the grape.

 

[JabbaPapa]

I've read that the bodega used to put decent wine in the fountain, so that pilgrims could stop by and have a glass. So many were filling their bottles with it, instead of just having one drink, that they stopped and now just put in the swill. I can't blame them, really. It's a shame, because it was a great idea.

No, it's always been like that -- the quality simply varies from season to season, as the Bodega has simply found a clever way of disposing of the inevitable overproduction of any modern vineyard.

In a good year, the wine from that fountain can actually be quite potable.

 

[JabbaPapa]

I am surprised there has been no mention of rosada

Rosada ranges between what we would call rosé and claret.