Aguas frescas

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Two large jars of aguas frescas in a taqueria in Seattle, Washington,USA. On the left is a jar of jamaica and on the right is a jar of horchata. Restaurant employees serve the drinks by ladling them from the jars into glasses.
Two large jars of aguas frescas in a taqueria in Seattle, Washington,USA. On the left is a jar of jamaica and on the right is a jar of horchata. Restaurant employees serve the drinks by ladling them from the jars into glasses.

Aguas frescas (Spanish for "fresh (cold) waters") are a combination of either fruits, cereals, or seeds, and sugar and water, blended together to make a refreshing beverage. Although they originated and are most common in Mexico, aguas frescas have also become popular in Central America and the Caribbean. Some of the most popular flavors include agua de tamarindo (made with tamarind pods), agua de jamaica (made with roselle), and agua de horchata (usually made with rice and cinnamon).

It is possible that from these aguas frescas the production of bottled fruit sodas such as Jarritos arose. In Mexico the beverage is often sold by street vendors, but in many cases fine Mexican restaurants will have a good selection of Aguas Frescas available.

There is some confusion in terms internationally between the drinks referred to here and bottled soft drinks. In Guatemala and Nicaragua, these are referred to as frescos, short for refresco which in Mexico means soft drinks. Soft drinks in Guatemala are called aguas, short for aguas gaseosas but easily confused with the Mexican aguas frescas.

Another type of aguas frescas, popular in Caribbean islands like the Dominican Republic, is made with oatmeal and a citrus juice.

It may be made with other ingredients, mainly with liquefied fruits:

In Mexico it is common to find Aguas Frescas in the flavors:

Sweet fruits:

Acid fruits:

With seeds or flowers:

  • Jamaica, a sugared cold drink made from the flowers of the hibiscus plant.
  • Horchata, which is made with barley or chufa (root of Cyperus esculentus), and in Mexico is made often of rice, rarely of oat, and scented with vanilla
  • Alfalfa, blending fresh alfalfa leaves with water
  • Cebada, using the grains of the Barley
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