Red Wine And Sweetened Condensed Milk Is A Truly Slept-On Drink Combo

When it comes to wine cocktails, refreshing is usually the name of the game. Just consider the refreshing combination of red wine and ginger ale, or the classic red wine sangria which features wine plus sliced fruit, juice, and a sweetening agent. But there's another red wine combo to consider: a cocktail consisting of red wine and sweetened condensed milk that's been making the rounds on social media. The alcoholic beverage is actually a play on the Espanhola, a Brazilian cocktail made with red wine, condensed milk, ice, and pieces of pineapple, all of which are blended.

For anyone new to the world of sweetened condensed milk, this ultra-thick substance is made by heating milk until much of the moisture evaporates. Condensed milk also features sugar, which increases the product's shelf stability, in addition to providing its characteristic sweet flavor. In Brazil, condensed milk is used in lots of beloved desserts, so it stands to reason that it would also appear in cocktails.

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Sweetened Condensed Milk Makes For A Tasty Cocktail

While the Espanhola is a popular beverage in Brazil, some wine drinkers in the U.S. have expressed skepticism about adding a sweetened dairy product to their red wine. In the TikTok clip featuring the combination, the creator of the video dubbed the concoction "really good" and stated that the inclusion of condensed milk "mellows" the flavor of the wine. Remember that red wine contains a high concentration of tannins, which create a bitter flavor profile, as well as contribute to red wine's characteristic color.

Because red wine is so robust on the palate, the condensed milk has a nice tempering effect on the flavor. The addition strikes a better balance between flavors and also draws down the acidity of red wine to make for greater drinkability. While wine purists may balk at the notion, the combination does seem to be a winner when it's made the right way.

Tips On Making This Cocktail At Home

When it comes to wine selection for your pared-down Espanhola, a dry red typically works best. You'll get plenty of sweetness with the condensed milk, so a sweeter red wine could make the cocktail a bit too treacly. Also, keep in mind that the difference between condensed milk and evaporated milk is the addition of sugar. That means you can't use evaporated milk in place of condensed milk, otherwise, you'll be missing the essential sweet flavor that makes this beverage so pleasing to the palate.

Another wine tip to remember is that this cocktail does not call for an exorbitantly priced bottle of red. Feel free to use a less expensive bottle instead and save the high-end bottles for drinking straight. Mixing the cocktail is another important consideration, and the creator of the TikTok clip praising the combination notably used a milk frother wand when making the drink. While you can mix yours using a spoon, blending the condensed milk and red wine will result in a smoother texture and a more even mixture of these two ingredients.

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