Kalimotxo has this special feature that rises it to the top of the chart of alcoholic drinks. Many people will probably disagree or just look at me, disapproving, but it is a fact that you can drink Kalimotxo forever once you get used to it.

Some people never do, some other claim to be invincible and eventually get a reality check in the form of raw humility, a.k.a. puke through your bedroom´s window.

It is known that during Aste Nagusia (which stands for ´Big Week´ and its the biggest traditional party that takes place in Bilbao the last week of August) Kalimotxo is the most popular choice to get wasted among the locals. In fact, it is all year around as well.

I remember my last Aste Nagusia before moving abroad. I could not make it back yet, annual leave goes as if it was a candy in a play yard. I just had some minor surgery and still had stitches quite close to my balls, under my belly, which made it quite difficult to walk normally for the first days. I clearly remember how one of the male nurses was taking the piss out of me, joking about me not being able to go out on Aste Nagusia that year. This was right before the surgery. I smiled and thought “what the fuck, how long is the post op going to be”?

Well, I have to say, that eventual pain went on for months and months, but a week after the surgery, I went out to have a couple of drinks. That was about 7 in the evening. Sun not even close to start its fade and leave some space for the short summer night, very hot day, I was barely able to walk. It was not pain at the time, but very tight stitches.

Anyway, after around 6 to 8 liters of kalimotxo, it was 7 in the morning. Of course at this point memories start to become blurry, but my whole point is that Kalimotxo is fucking awesome. Becomes a handicapped and miserable person whose summer was taken away without notice (me at the time) into someone that can party 12+ hours as if nothing happened.

That particular day I got home around 11 in the morning, saluted my family militarily and went to bed for 5 minutes. Then I went and had my stitches taken care of in the medical center, and went back home to have lunch. Repeat for 7 days.

Repeat for 14 years.