To get a flavour of Spain, hold a glass of one of the country's national drinks to your mouth and swallow. Most are heat-beaters. Although others are the perfect accompaniment to a meal or a way to wake up in the morning. Here are our five recommended liquid refreshments.
Sangria
Spain's favourite summer drink is consumed all year round in its sunnier east and south. Recipes vary from bar to bar, household to household, but the wine used is nearly always red. That's how the drink got its name, from its dark-red colour as the world for blood in Spanish is sangre.
So, red wine, check. Fruit, typically orange, lemon, or apple, check. Then's there the juice, normally orange. And, last but not least, the ice.
Horchata
Whilst paella is Valencia's most famous food, horchata is its most celebrated drink. Known locally as orxata, it's served ice-cold so one can keep cool in summer. And at other times too, this is the Mediterranean after all.
They certainly take the whole producion of this drink seriously. There's even a regulatory body for quality control. Valencian horchata aka as orxata de xufa is a holy trinity of tiger nuts, water, and sugar.
Cava
A Spanish celebration, whether it be a first communion or wedding, isn't a celebration without a bottle or more of cava. Spain's version of champagne is just as bubbly as its French counterpart. Most of cava hails from Catalonian vineyards and is either white or rosé.
Coffee
Most people associate Italy with coffee more than Spain. But it's just as popular on the Iberian Peninsula and its islands as it is amongst its Latin cousins. You'll even find the world's most northerly coffee plantation in Spain, on the Canary Island of Gran Canaria.
There are many different types of coffee which Spaniards drink from dust to dawn. One of the most popular, however, is the cortado which is an espresso shot through with a liberal splash of milk which is served in a glass. Or there's the café con leche which is a milkier coffee altogether, one which arrives at your table or bar spot in a cup and saucer.
Rioja
There are two ways of drinking rioja, Spain's most famous red wine. One is to order a bottle to eat with your meal at a fine restaurant. That's the classy option.
The other one is probably a little bit authentic though. And that's to head to the La Rioja region instead. To the capital of Logroño where you'll be able to order wine by the glass to accompany pintxos, northern Spain's tapas, as you indulge in a bar crawl.