Rebujito - Official drink of the Seville Fair

It's 7.30 PM and it's 31 degrees! It's festival time here in Seville and today I'm bringing you some information about the way of enjoying it in these sunny days. It's about drink culture. It's about having fun without hurting yourself in anyway. For this reason, the Andalusians have invented special drinks.

Gate of this year's Seville Fair 

Rebujito is a wine coctail that was born at the April Fair (Feria de Abril) in Seville of a need to have a refreshing drink with a low alcohol content. Its etymological origin traces it back to the action of stirring (rebullir), which is, quite exactly, what the making of it is like. It's a delicious drink of fortified white wine mixed with lime-flavoured soft drink, such as Pepsi's 7 Up or Coca-Cola's Sprite, poured over a high ball glass full of ice and garnished with a spray of mint (herbabuena). The Andalusians usually mix one part wine to two parts of soft drink, but it's more like a question of taste. Rebujito is an Andalusian specialty mainly consumed at fairs and and other festive occasions, becoming more and more popular throughout Spain.

Herbabuena for an Andalusian-style long drink

The wine used to make a good rebujito is typically, but not always, dry. Thus, it's el fino or la manzanilla (pretty much the same thing, both made from Palomino grape), but depending on an area to be in, it can get more specific. 

Rebujito wines used in Cádiz and Jerez

So, the fino they use in Cádiz is often Fino Pavón, in Jerez it's Fino Tío Pepe, and in Córdoba it's Fino Montilla-Moriles. 

Rebujito wines used in Córdoba

The ones they use most in Seville are Fino Quinta, Manzanilla La Quita and Manzanilla La Gitana. 

Rebujito wines, typical at the April Fair in Seville

In Málaga they tend to use sweet wine instead, normally Moscatel Cartojal:

That drink is accompanied by finger food (picoteo), or a  proper lunch or dinner (comida), and goes perfectly with all the seafood treats of the Fair.