Off Topic: Red wine & Pepsi Max

I've started this thread because I think a lot of you folk are missing out on this wonderful union.

A few years ago, a mate told me that when you see the Spanish drinking red wine in the afternoons, they're not drinking just red wine. They've mixed it with cola.

I found it hard to believe and dismissed it; until a year later, I remembered him saying this so thought I'd give it a go on some rough rouge I had. He was right and I've been supping it for the last two years.

I'm not saying waste your best claret on it, but if you have some stuff that goes down like sandpaper, mix it 1/3rd wine to 2/3rd coke (especially Pepsi Max) and see what you think.

I GUARANTEE you will enjoy it.

blended whisky with a drop cola is better

oldparwin wrote:blended whisky with a drop cola is better

If you want to waste your blended whiskey by mixing it with cola, oldparwin, then fill your boots

I've tried red wine with a touch of lemonade but think I'll leave the coke to go with the JD !

No need to go crazy with these Mediterranean diets.
Sounds ghastly and nothing will tempt me to try it.

MPB and Kwini: Trust me, guys, trust me.

Sorry Mercurio, Haven't drunk any sort of Cola for thirty years, but have loved almost every drop of (carefully chosen) red wine.

kwinigolfer wrote:Sorry Mercurio, Haven't drunk any sort of Cola for thirty years, but have loved almost every drop of (carefully chosen) red wine.

As I said, kwini, don't waste your good stuff on it but if you do get a bottle of rough rouge, give it a go.

Sherry and bovril is a good mixture on cold mornings. Much beloved in half way houses on Winter Sunday mornings.

Morning drink - Bloody Mary

If not beer after golf - Spiked Arnold Palmer (also called a John Daly) or a Transfusion!

Just trying it now Merc...good shout...although like you say I wouldn't do it with a best claret...or my personal favourite red, Amarone.

Good bbq tipple methinks

Never tried red wine and cola (does it have to be pepsi max Merc?)

I join OPW on adding scotch to cola and I also will boil a ham in cola - that's worth trying!

You're not a cheap date then JAS! But you do have good taste.

Sherry and Bovril - Not in my fourball!! I'll stick with my flask of single malt (any one would do, but Glenfarclas by choice).

lol...no I don't do cheap dates OS, usually I'm buying. My red wine tastes are wide and varied, as I said, love my Amarone (and for that matter Barolo) but right across the spectrum I also love the light fruitiness of NZ Pinot Noirs.

Oh and by the way, I find a mature McCallan as the ideal hip flask tipple!!

Shot

I've heard of this Arnold Palmer drink, isn't it iced tea with something in it? Someone I played with in the States last year had one post round and said it was very refreshing.

JAS good shout. I too am partial to a glass of amarone, or if feeling poor, it's lesser brother valpolicella

There is a (non-alcoholic) drink very popular at my club - and I've seen it at other golf clubs too but never anywhere outside of a golf club

Called either "rock shandy" or a "gunners" - it's ginger beer and lemonade(?) with a dash of angosturas bitters.

Is this a drink particular to golfers only?

D4S the AP is Iced tea with lemonade, very refreshing (it comes in cans in the States). I almost peed myself when one of my playing partners at Spyglass asked for a John Daly. The trolley dolly asks "what's that?" " "Oh its an Arnold Palmer with a Jack Daniels in it"....Briliant

Davie, I used to work behind a bar at a golf club and had people asking for gunners all the time.
Never seen it ordered outside of a golf club either. Weird!

First time I came across a gunners, it was at a golf club. D4S ordered it, SJ, NST and myself all tried it afterwards. I have not had another one, but if I want a really refeshing post round drink, I have a pint of hand pulled bitter, drink a third and then top up with ginger beer.

Barolo is a fair shout JAS, I am however a francophile when it comes to wine. Can't really afford the clarets that are worth drinking, so tend to stick with the burgundies and their like. Gevrey Chambertin, Fleurie, Volnay are all of a like pricewise to Amerone and if looking for something a tad cheaper, then 'every little helps' had a wonderful Cotes de Ventoux ' La Tour de Marrenon' on half price. Oh and McCallan works for me to.

Ooh nice OS...to me Moulin-a-Vent is a personal favourite of mine of the BV family. Going further south I love a good Chateauneuf du Pape.

I feel a red wine thread coming...lol

Red wine and coke? Interesting. Will give it a try on the next slightly dodgy bottle of red.

Re. amarone and valpolicella, try a valpolicella ripasso if you see one. Valpolicella given some time with the semi-dried grapes used for amarone. Not bad.

Red wine + coke = calimocho. It's what Spanish kids used to drink, the equivalent of thunderbird or bacardi breezer. You won't find people adding coke to a nice rioja, but then a 1 euro tetrapak of wine needs something to make it bearable.

The other classic is red wine + soda water or lemonade = tinto de verano. Again a bit of a starter drink as it makes the wine sweet and fizzy, about as sophisticated as woodpecker cider.

oldshanker wrote: if I want a really refeshing post round drink, I have a pint of hand pulled bitter, drink a third and then top up with ginger beer.

Have to say that sounds disgusting!

If people really want a bad night, Mount Gay Rum and Smirnoff Ice go well together...

oldshanker wrote: if I want a really refeshing post round drink, I have a pint of hand pulled bitter, drink a third and then top up with ginger beer.

Isn't that the original definition of a shandy? Lemonade came much later

I thought red wine and coke was Jesus juice?

I hope you guys are not using it for that purpose?

Have to say I am with kwini here, no need to waste a good red or a bad one come to think of it.

On another coke related thought, why does coke from a bottle taste better than coke from a can? Is it just mental or is there a taste difference?

Davie wrote:

oldshanker wrote: if I want a really refeshing post round drink, I have a pint of hand pulled bitter, drink a third and then top up with ginger beer.

Isn't that the original definition of a shandy? Lemonade came much later

The Original shandy, which btw is my favourite tipple, apart from a small Glenfidditch, is Lager and Coke....Try it fellas....its really good!

John

A half and half mix of Coke and Fanta is surprisingly good. Fairly popular in Austria if I remember.

I've also discovered a Hoegaarden/Traditional Lemonade Shandy to be good too.

oldshanker wrote:First time I came across a gunners, it was at a golf club. D4S ordered it, SJ, NST and myself all tried it afterwards. I have not had another one, but if I want a really refeshing post round drink, I have a pint of hand pulled bitter, drink a third and then top up with ginger beer.

Barolo is a fair shout JAS, I am however a francophile when it comes to wine. Can't really afford the clarets that are worth drinking, so tend to stick with the burgundies and their like. Gevrey Chambertin, Fleurie, Volnay are all of a like pricewise to Amerone and if looking for something a tad cheaper, then 'every little helps' had a wonderful Cotes de Ventoux ' La Tour de Marrenon' on half price. Oh and McCallan works for me to.

I remember well that Gunners which was extremely useful for washing down the 'heart attack' burger I ordered cos I was absolutely Hank Marvin from having travelled overnight without breakfast to make the meet whilst you lot scoffed bacon butties! Mind you, I was somewhat distracted during the course of our culinary delights by the woman who served us with absolutely enormous chebs... certainly was the 'hostess with the mostest'

Gunners seems to come in various forms depending on the club - all with ginger beer and angustura but some with lemonade, some with soda and some with ginger ale (what's the difference with ginger beer?!) and occasionally a dash of lime (helps bump the price up I guess).
Personally love it with lemonade on a hot summer's day post round.

Careful how many you have though Davie as the angustura is 40% proof so not quite non-alcoholic.

Until earlier this year, Angostura Bitters were free of excise duties, just in case you've ever wondered why it was so cheap in supermarkets.

I make my owner Gunner at home, but it never tastes as good as it does post-round at the club.