Mexican drinks are not just limited to the classic Margarita. You would be surprised to find various cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages, all with different tastes and flavors. Some are sweet and fruity, like Mexican Candy Shot and Aguas Frescas, while others are chocolaty or coffee-flavored, like Champurrado and Kahlúa. There is a drink for any day of the year, be it a regular day or special occasions like Cinco de Mayo or Christmas.
Tequila is the most famous Mexican liquor having three different flavors: blanco, añejo, and reposado. It acquires a slightly sweet and earthy taste due to the distillation process of the blue agave plant that goes as its main ingredient.
Some tequilas are entirely made from agave, while a few called mixto have 51% agave and 49% fermented sugarcane juice, making it smell and taste sweet.
You could either enjoy it neat as a shot or mix it with other juices and drinks to prepare cocktails like Tequila Sunrise and Paloma.
No modification can excel the classic Margarita made effortlessly from fresh lime juice and tequila. The sour and bitter combination served in a salt-rimmed glass and garnished with sliced lime is an instant hit on special occasions like Cinco de Mayo. Having them on the rocks is best to let your drink dilute over time as you sit back and enjoy a sip. If the bitterness is too much to handle, a few drops of sugary syrup will work wonders.
If a smoky flavor to your drink is something you like, you will want to try mezcal. Like tequila, that’s a type of mezcal, this drink also gets the earthy and smoky tones from the agave plants prepared in underground ovens. You could have it neat in a traditional little clay cup known as jicarita to experience the aroma and flavors.
Rompope might be hailed as a holiday drink, but its popularity has made it an all-year item in every store. This eggnog-like drink has milk, vanilla flavoring, and eggs as its main ingredient, with the yolks adding to its classic yellow hue.
Traditional rompopes are spiked with rum, while their modern counterparts have a decent amount of bourbon. Including spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg gives the creamy drink a sweet and spicy flavor.
This unique drink is said to have been created by nuns in a Puebla convent in the 17th century, that eventually became an instant favorite. Serve it chill or warm or at room temperature, just the way you want.
Kahlúa, with its rich coffee flavors, add life to cocktails like Black Russian and Mudslide. The liqueur, originating in Veracruz in Mexico is made with a combination of rum, coffee, and sugar.
While the regular one has 20% alcohol content, you could find its stronger version, Kahlúa Especial, with 36% proof. The process of coffee production and procedure to make a bottle of Kahlúa takes about seven years. No wonder it is a ubiquitous beverage used in cocktails, and even in baking desserts or topping cheesecakes or ice cream.
Michelada is a refreshing drink having a burst of spicy, savory, and slightly tangy flavors. The main components going into its preparation include a light Mexican beer along with a combination of lime juice, salt, a Mexican tomato cocktail juice called Clamato, and hot sauce. Though it is ideal to consume anytime, many enjoy it chilled as a hangover drink like Bloody Mary, though Michelada appears richer and more robust. You could also use Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce to add umami flavors to it.
Tepache is a slightly fermented Mexican beverage, easy to make at home with pineapple peel, cane sugar, and water. Cinnamon and cloves can also go into it if you prefer spicy undertones.
The fermentation process lets the sugar and fruity flavors combine into a delicious, refreshing drink low on alcoholic content, perfect for summer evenings. To increase the alcohol level, you could add beer to your preparation.
If having tequila shots is too much for you to handle, you could give Paloma a try. The traditional cocktail made with tequila, grapefruit soda or juice, and lime juice. Adding salt to the glass’ rim is an option but not a compulsion.
In its simplest form paloma could just include grapefruit-flavored soda and tequila. Whereas, in the complex variant, orange juice, and lime juice are added too.
This citrusy-salty drink is rightly honored as the national drink of Mexico, whose name also means ‘dove’ in Spain. A sip of it while having your favorite spicy Mexican dish would taste heavenly indeed.
Like its name, which means ‘flag’ in Spanish, Bandera is a signature cocktail representing the Mexican flag’s three colors: red, white, and green.
It consists of three drinks: blanco tequila, fresh lime juice, and sangria, a spicy tomato juice, all served in separate shot glasses. Following the traditional style, you may first sip onto tequila, followed by the citrusy lime juice, and finally the tangy tomato juice, or change the order as per your choice.
If visiting Mexico during Cinco de Mayo or other festive seasons, be sure to order it once.
Once you complete your dinner, you could enjoy sipping from a glass of Carajillo made with a combination of strong coffee like expresso and Licor 43, a Spanish liqueur.
While the coffee tastes rich and bitter flavor, the liqueur would generate sweet and vanilla-like flavors. Apart from Mexico, it is also a favorite among people in Columbia, Cuba, and a staple in Spain.
If you enjoy fruity flavors, you would surely love a Mexican candy shot. It’s sweet and spicy, traditionally made with watermelon juice, tequila, and hot sauce.
The watermelon juice can be replaced or combined with other fruit juices like guava or strawberry. You could serve them for house parties in shot glasses by rubbing Tajin or lime around its rim.
The bold and flavorful Mexican mule comprises tequila, lime juice, and ginger beer. It is easy to prepare just by pouring all the three components into a copper mug and serving with ice and a lime slice and mint for garnish.
A fruity cocktail made out of your favorite flavored Jarritos soda and tequila is an ideal way to enjoy a summer evening. Adding some freshly squeezed lime and ice would make it more refreshing. Lastly, garnish it with a lime wedge for a citrusy feel.
A cold glass of sweet and creamy horchata makes a fantastic dessert drink. It is one of the tastiest Mexican beverages, prepared with cinnamon-infused rice water and flavored with vanilla, grounded cinnamon, and sugar.
The addition of milk gives it a thick and creamy consistency. Though traditionally a non-alcoholic drink, you could add rum instead of milk for the tipsy effect.
Agua de Jamaica is a yummy and healthy iced tea made from hibiscus flowers, sugar, and water. The appealing red-colored beverage is sweet and tart, almost similar to cranberry tea.
To make it more attractive with bubbles forming all over, you can replace regular water with seltzer water.
This warm and comforting drink is best reserved for the cold weather, especially during Christmas time. It is a delicious fruit punch made with apple, oranges, pears, and guavas and flavored with cloves, cinnamon, and hibiscus.
A splash of rum while serving it warm would be ideal for cozy winter evenings.
If planning a family-friendly celebration at home like a baby shower, or a summertime picnic, Aguas Frescas would be an excellent beverage to serve the guests.
They are light and refreshing as ‘fresh water’ that their name translates to. They are easily made by blending fruits, seeds, or flowers with water, lime juice, and sugar.
It is healthy and rich in fibers, including no filter or straining process. Adding fruits like cucumber and watermelons would help you stay hydrated for a long time..
Champurrado is the chocolaty version of atole made by boiling milk, chocolate, cinnamon, piloncillo or pure cane sugar. Also, it has masa harina or corn flour that adds to its thick consistency and sets it apart from traditional hot chocolate.
The rich and earthy flavors with the goodness of chocolate make it a special drink best served with churros or tamales during Christmas
This Mexican mango drink looks pretty with yellow, orange, and red swirls, tasting amazingly good too. It is prepared with a combination of fresh mango sorbet with mango chunks.
But, the its unique flavor lies in its unique blend of salty, spicy, and tangy flavors of tajin and chamoy seasoning. You could also add liquor of your preference to this favorite summertime drink of many and serve it with ice..
This refreshing agua fresco has fresh tamarind pods as its main ingredient. The procedure to make the drink involves extracting and pureeing the tamarind pulp until smooth. It is then strained into a large pitcher and combined with water and sugar.
Sweet and tart, Agua de Tamarindo is commonly sold by street vendors and is also a popular find in restaurants. You could transform it into a cocktail by adding tequila shots.
The list of Mexican cocktails do not end here, there is a lot more like Chavela a beer cocktail made primarily from tomato juice, a tequila cocktail.
TOP PICKS
Best Mexican Holiday Drinks: Rompope, Paloma, Mexican Ponche
Best Mexican Cocktails: Margarita, Paloma, Carajillo
Best Mexican Fruit Drinks: Aguas Frescas, Mexican Candy Shot, Jarritos
Best Mexican Non Alcoholic Drinks: Horchata, Champurrando, Agua de Jamaica
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