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The heat in California is brutal, with triple-digit temperatures blanketing much of the state. I frequently check my weather app to see what the temperatures will be like over the next few days. This week, temperatures will exceed 90 degrees in downtown Los Angeles.
In the midst of the latest summer heatwave, all I want to do is sip aguas frescas. Cool, fruity and not too sweet, these “fresh waters” date back centuries, all the way to the Aztecs of Tenochtitlan, now Mexico City, and are the perfect cold drink for these sweltering summers. Mixed with crushed fruit and chilled water, aguas frescas bring out the best in-season produce, including cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew, cucumber, plums, peaches, passion fruit and berries. (Ripe melon is so delicious right now, I can’t say I haven’t had half a watermelon for dinner recently.)
Agua fresca is Los Angeles’ signature drink, first sold at street carts in the 1940s. Bright yellow piña agua fresca, tart wine-colored agua de Jamaica and juicy pink watermelon versions are served in barrel-shaped glass jars and vitroleros at restaurants and street carts throughout LA.
You can also make it yourself. All you need are water, ice, and whatever summer fruits you have on hand from the farmers market or grocery store. You’ll need agave syrup (or a syrup made with sugar or piloncillo) for sweetness, lime juice for acidity, and a pinch of salt for flavor. The key is to get the balance right. The blender will do the rest.
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Watermelon-lime agua fresca
Watermelon, lime, agave syrup and salt — that’s it — that’s all you need to make the most refreshing drink you’ll ever have. Serve over ice and garnish with a lime slice.
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Preparation Time: 15 minutes. Makes 2 1/2 quarts.
(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)
Guelaguetza’s Horchata from Oaxaca
This version of horchata from LA restaurant Guelaguetza is topped with cantaloupe, pecans and tuna (red cactus pear) syrup, paying homage to a woman named Doña Casilda who added these toppings to horchata while selling it at Oaxaca’s Central Market. The recipe appears in the cookbook “Oaxaca: Home Cooking From the Heart of Mexico,” edited by Guelaguetza co-owner Bricia Lopez.
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Preparation Time: 24 minutes. Makes 1 3/4 cups.
(Kamilee Tsai/The Times)
Coco Pina Guava Fresca
This recipe from Danny Trejo’s book, Trejo’s Cantina, uses widely available tropical fruit juices and nectars, making it flavorful no matter the season. Trejo points out that the great thing about making your own simple syrup is that it can be stored for a week, ready to use whenever inspiration strikes.
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Preparation Time: 10 minutes. Makes 1 cup.
(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
Coco Limonada
You’ll be craving it all summer long. Creamy, nutty coconut milk is the highlight of this limonada inspired by Oaxacan lemon water. “Do as the Oaxacans do and add citrus zest to create perhaps the most delicate lemonade variation. Steep the lemon in water to remove the zest, then use the steeped water as a base for a tropical refreshment,” says recipe developer Paola Briceño Gonzalez.
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Preparation Time: 35 minutes. Yield: 32 oz.
(Katrina Frederick/Courtesy of The Times)
Cucumber and lime agua fresca
Simple and green, cucumber and lime are a classic combo. The pale green color alone is cool enough to make you want to dive right in, but former food editor Amy Scattergood likes to add half a fresh Serrano chile to the mix. Add more if you like.
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Preparation Time: 20 minutes. Makes 1 quart.
Strawberry Jamaican Agua Fresca
The hibiscus flowers are first infused to create a tea, then mixed with strawberries and a little sugar to create a flavor that’s a nice mix of sour and sweet. A pro tip here is to make a double batch and freeze one in an ice cube tray to use when serving.
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Preparation Time: 20 minutes. Makes 2 1/2 quarts.
(Glenn Koenig/Los Angeles Times)
Honeydew Cilantro Agua Fresca with Tequila
Aguas Frescas are non-alcoholic, but this pitcher cocktail version adds tequila and combines honeydew melon with chiles and flecks of coriander.
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Preparation Time: 15 minutes. Serves 8.
