Watermelon Agua Fresca
Watermelon blended with water, lime and a little sugar, strained over ice. Mexico's summer street drink — pink, cold and barely sweet, and the best thing to do with half a watermelon.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Put the watermelon, water, lime juice and syrup in a blender and blend until smooth.
Strain through a fine sieve into a pitcher, pressing the pulp.
Taste and adjust lime and sugar; chill for at least an hour.
Serve over ice in tall glasses with a lime wedge.
A thoughtful finish
- A ripe watermelon needs almost no sugar; taste before you add any.
- Strain it; the pulp separates and goes grainy.
- A pinch of salt or a dusting of Tajín on the rim is the Mexican finish.
Common mistakes
- Too much sugar; it should taste of melon, not syrup.
- Skipping the lime, which is what makes it taste fresh.
- Blending in ice, which waters it down before it reaches the glass.
A few good questions.
What does a Watermelon Agua Fresca taste like?
Cold, fresh watermelon with lime — light, barely sweet and very drinkable.
What does agua fresca mean?
'Fresh water' — the Mexican family of fruit, grain and flower drinks sold at street stalls.
Can I add alcohol?
Two ounces of blanco tequila or mezcal in a glass of it makes a very good highball.
How long does it keep?
A day in the fridge; stir before pouring, as it separates.
Variations
- Virgin Sangria — Grape and orange juice with fruit.
- Virgin Margarita — Lime, orange and agave with a salt rim.
- Paloma — Tequila, lime and grapefruit soda.
- Lavender Lemonade — Lemonade with lavender syrup.
Where it comes from
c. 1800s · Mexico
Aguas frescas — ‘fresh waters’ — are the fruit, grain and flower drinks of Mexican street stalls and markets, sold from big glass barrel jars: horchata from rice, jamaica from hibiscus, tamarindo, and the fruit ones, of which sandía, watermelon, is the summer standard. The tradition goes back to the Aztecs’ fruit-and-water drinks and took its modern form in the nineteenth century, when sugar became cheap. The recipe is a ratio, not a formula: fruit, water, lime and enough sugar to lift the fruit without sweetening it, blended and strained. Watermelon needs the least sugar of any of them and the most lime. It is also the base for a good tequila or mezcal highball.
Sources
- Diana Kennedy, The Cuisines of Mexico, 1972 (book)
- Rick Bayless, Mexico One Plate at a Time, 2000 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Watermelon Agua Fresca, 2015 (reference)
A little character in every sip.
A keeper?
Save this drink for your next cocktail hour.
Saved in this browser.The next great drink
might already be on your shelf.
Choose your bottles and mixers. Discover what you can make.