Mexican Drinks: From Horchata to Mezcal

Mexico has a tradition of drinks as rich as its gastronomy. From refreshing aguas frescas to tequila cocktails, by way of ancestral hot drinks, the repertoire is enormous and there is a Mexican drink for every moment of the day and every type of meal.

Aguas Frescas: The Natural Mexican Refresher

Aguas frescas are the natural alternative to industrial soft drinks. They are made by blending fruit, seeds or flowers with water, sugar and sometimes lime. In Mexico, every fonda and restaurant has its glass jugs full of vibrant colors - it is an iconic image.

Agua de Horchata

The most famous Mexican drink and probably the most addictive. It is sweet, creamy, with a cinnamon and rice flavor. It looks like a milkshake but it is much lighter.

Recipe (makes 2L): Soak 200g of rice in water for 4 hours (or overnight). Blend with 1L of water, 2 cinnamon sticks, 100g of sugar and a splash of vanilla. Strain with a fine sieve or muslin. Add 1L more cold water. Serve with ice and a touch of ground cinnamon.

Variations: Strawberry horchata (blend with fresh strawberries), coconut horchata (add coconut milk), horchata loca (with a measure of vodka or rum).

In Spain: All the ingredients in any supermarket. It is extremely easy to make. Children adore it.

Agua de Jamaica

An infusion of hibiscus flower, of an intense red color and a sweet-sour flavor. It is refreshing, rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, and has a spectacular color.

Recipe (makes 2L): Boil 2L of water, add 100g of dried jamaica flower, turn off the heat and leave to rest for 10-15 minutes. Strain, add sugar to taste (start with 80g and adjust) and refrigerate. Serve with ice and a splash of lime.

Where to buy: Dried jamaica flower in Latin shops (3-4€/100g) or health-food shops. Also on Amazon. One packet makes many jugs.

Agua de Tamarindo

Sweet, sour and with personality. Tamarind makes a unique drink that Mexicans love with chili powder around the rim of the glass.

Recipe: Boil 200g of tamarind pulp (available in Asian and Latin shops) in 1L of water for 15 min. Crush with a fork to dissolve the pulp. Strain, add 1L of cold water and sugar to taste. Serve with ice.

Agua de Limón con Chía

Limeade with chia seeds floating in it. The seeds swell and give a unique, fun texture. What is more, chia is a superfood rich in omega-3.

Recipe: 2L of water + juice of 6 limes + 3 tablespoons of chia seeds + sugar to taste. Leave to rest for 30 min so the chia hydrates.

Hot Drinks

Café de Olla

Coffee with piloncillo (panela) and cinnamon, cooked in an earthenware pot. It has a sweet, spiced flavor completely different from coffee with ordinary sugar.

Recipe: Boil 1L of water with 50g of piloncillo (or panela/brown sugar) and 1 cinnamon stick. When the piloncillo dissolves, add 4-5 tablespoons of ground coffee. Boil for 2 min, turn off, cover and rest for 5 min. Strain and serve.

Piloncillo: You will find it in Latin shops as a hard, dark cone of sugar, 2-3€. Substitute: brown sugar or panela.

Champurrado

Chocolate atole: a thick corn drink with chocolate, perfect for cold mornings and to accompany tamales. It is like a hot chocolate but with more body and texture thanks to the corn.

Recipe: Dissolve 100g of Maseca in 250ml of cold water. Boil 750ml of milk with cinnamon. Add the dissolved Maseca to the milk, stirring constantly. Add 100g of Mexican chocolate (or dark chocolate + cinnamon + sugar). Cook, stirring, for 10 min until it thickens. Serve hot.

Atole

A sweet corn drink, the base of champurrado but without chocolate. It can be vanilla, strawberry, walnut, guava... In Mexico it is sold at street stalls in the mornings along with tamales - the "tamal + atole" combo is the on-the-go breakfast of millions.

Mexican Cocktails

Margarita

The most famous Mexican cocktail in the world. Simple, balanced, refreshing.

Classic recipe: 50ml white tequila + 25ml Cointreau or triple sec + 25ml fresh lime juice + ice. Shake vigorously in a shaker, serve in a glass with a salt rim.

Variations: Mango, strawberry, tamarind, watermelon margarita. Add the blended fruit to the base recipe.

In Spain: Tequila in any supermarket (José Cuervo 15€), Cointreau in off-licences (12€). Fresh limes always.

Paloma

More popular than the margarita in Mexico but less well known internationally. It is easier to make and more refreshing.

Recipe: 50ml tequila + grapefruit soda to fill the glass + juice of half a lime + salt on the rim. Ice. Done.

In Spain: Use Kas Limón mixed with grapefruit juice, or grapefruit soda (Schweppes Pink Grapefruit works).

Michelada

Prepared beer: beer + lime + salt + hot sauce + tomato juice/Clamato. It is the beer for meals and the official hangover "cure" in Mexico.

Recipe: Rim the glass with chili powder and salt. In the glass: juice of 2 limes + hot sauce (Valentina or Tabasco) + Worcestershire sauce + tomato juice (or Clamato if you can find it in Latin shops). Fill with cold beer. Mix gently.

Mezcal Cocktails

Mezcal is revolutionising cocktail-making worldwide:

• Mezcalita: Like the margarita but with mezcal. The smokiness adds another dimension.
• Oaxaca Old Fashioned: Mezcal + tequila + agave syrup + Angostura bitters. Elegant and complex.

Special Non-Alcoholic Drinks

• Tepache: A fermented pineapple drink with piloncillo and cinnamon. Naturally slightly alcoholic (1-2%). Refreshing and with probiotics.
• Tejuino: A fermented corn drink from Jalisco. Served with lime sorbet and salt. Very regional and unique.
• Pozol: A fermented corn drink from Tabasco and Chiapas. Pre-Hispanic, nutritious, an acquired taste.

Where to Find Ingredients in Spain

• Supermarkets: Tequila, limes, fruit, sugar, rice, cinnamon, beer.
• Latin shops: Jamaica flower, piloncillo, tamarind, Mexican chocolate, sauces, Clamato, Maseca for atole.
• Asian shops: Tamarind pulp (an alternative to Latin shops).
• Amazon: Tajín (for micheladas), Mexican chocolate, jamaica flower.

Mexican drinks are the perfect complement to the food. Make an agua de horchata for your next taquiza or surprise your friends with homemade margaritas. Check our recipes to complete the experience.

Tequila vs Mezcal: A Buying Guide for Spain

The confusion between tequila and mezcal is universal, even among Mexicans. Here is the clear explanation and buying recommendations in Spain:

Tequila is a type of mezcal - just as champagne is a type of sparkling wine. It is produced only in Jalisco (and a few neighbouring regions) and exclusively with blue agave (tequilana Weber). The flavor is clean, herbal and relatively soft.

Mezcal is the broad category: distilled from any type of agave (there are more than 30 varieties), from any region of Mexico, with methods that include cooking in an underground wood-fired oven, which gives it its characteristic smoky flavor.

What to buy in Spain:

• Tequila for cocktails (15-25€): José Cuervo Especial (available in all supermarkets) is functional for margaritas. Olmeca Altos Plata (20€ in El Corte Inglés) is significantly better for a little more money - clean, citrusy, pure agave.
• Tequila for sipping (25-50€): Don Julio Blanco (35€) or Patrón Silver (38€). They are drunk neat or with sangrita (orange juice, lime, pomegranate and chile). Available in Carrefour, El Corte Inglés and off-licences.
• Mezcal (30-60€): Quality mezcal is not cheap. Montelobos (30-35€) is the most accessible entry point and you will find it in El Corte Inglés and some off-licences. Del Maguey Vida (35-40€) is excellent. For the adventurous, Los Danzantes (45€) is spectacular. They are drunk neat, in a small glass, at room temperature - never as a shot.

How to Make the Best Michelada: Three Styles

The michelada is the ideal drink to accompany Mexican food, especially in the warm months in Spain. There are three main styles:

• Classic michelada (DF style): Beer + lime + salt + hot sauce. No tomato. It is the purist version - let the beer shine with a citrus and spicy touch. Use a pale lager (Mahou Clásica, Corona, Modelo). The rim of the glass is just salt and chili powder.
• Cuban michelada (with Clamato): Beer + Clamato (tomato juice with clams) + lime + Worcestershire sauce + hot sauce + salt. It is more complex, more flavorful, almost like a liquid meal. Clamato is found in Latin shops (3-4€ a 1L bottle) and some large Carrefour stores.
• Prepared michelada (bar style): A Tajín rim + chamoy (Mexican sweet-and-sour sauce). In the glass: lime, Maggi sauce, hot sauce, tomato juice, beer. Garnish with a piece of mango with Tajín or a strip of cucumber. It is the "Instagrammable" version that is a hit in Mexican restaurants in Spain.

Recommended beer: Any pale lager works. In Spain, Mahou Clásica or Alhambra Especial are good bases. If you find Mexican beer (Corona, Modelo Especial, Pacífico), even better - you will find it in Carrefour and El Corte Inglés for 1.50-2€ a bottle.

Homemade Tepache: The Fermented Mexican Drink

Tepache deserves a special section because it is fascinating to make, delicious and practically free - it is made with the pineapple skins you would normally throw away:

Detailed recipe (makes 3L):

1. Cut the skins of a whole pineapple (include the core, not the flesh) into large pieces.
2. Put them in a large pot with 3L of water, 200g of piloncillo (or panela/brown sugar), 2 cinnamon sticks and 3-4 cloves.
3. Cover with a clean cloth (not a lid - it needs air) and leave to ferment at room temperature for 2-3 days.
4. You will see foam on the surface - it is a sign of active fermentation. Taste on the second day: it should be bubbly, slightly sour and sweet with a pineapple flavor.
5. Strain, refrigerate and consume within 2-3 days (it keeps fermenting slowly).

Important notes: In the Spanish summer (30°C+), fermentation is faster - it can be ready in 24-36 hours. In winter, it can take 3-4 days. If it ferments too much it turns into pineapple vinegar (which is also useful in cooking). Tepache has a natural alcohol content of 1-2%, similar to a kombucha. Serve very cold with ice, and if you want to give it an adult touch, add a splash of pale beer or mezcal.

Mexican Drinks for Every Moment of the Day

In Mexico, drinks follow a natural rhythm throughout the day. Here is how to integrate it into your routine in Spain:

• Breakfast (7-10h): Café de olla with cinnamon and piloncillo. If you have tamales, accompany them with champurrado or atole. The tamal + atole combo is a tradition dating back to pre-Hispanic times.
• Mid-morning (11-13h): Agua de limón con chía as a refreshing, nutritious snack. The chia seeds give a feeling of fullness and you will find them in any Mercadona for 2€.
• Lunch (14-16h): Agua de horchata or jamaica with the meal. In Mexico, the main meal is always accompanied by agua fresca, not by a soft drink. It is healthier and cheaper.
• Afternoon snack (17-19h): Mexican-style hot chocolate (with cinnamon and a hint of chile) with sweet bread. The Abuelita or Ibarra chocolate tablets are found in Latin shops for 3-4€.
• Aperitif (19-21h): Mezcal neat with an orange slice and worm salt, or a paloma if you prefer something long and refreshing.
• Dinner/party (21h+): Margaritas to start, micheladas with the meal, mezcal to finish. Or simply a very cold beer - in Mexico nobody judges.

Mexican drinks are a world as deep as its cuisine. From the humility of agua de horchata to the complexity of artisanal mezcal, every sip is an invitation to get to know an ancient culture that is still alive and evolving.