When you want to make an alcoholic drink from Spain, you may not consider Agua de Valencia. That’s because it’s relatively unknown! This Spanish drink is less popular than the world-famous sangria. However, Agua de Valencia is a classic Spanish cocktail that you need to try before leaving Spain. This extremely fresh cocktail’s name means “the water of Valencia,” which is funny considering it’s a highly alcoholic beverage. Even though it’s got water in its name, drink it slowly or you’ll be seeing Spanish stars! Find out what’s inside this fresh Spanish drink and try out our recipe below.
What’s Agua de Valencia?
Agua de Valencia is one of the traditional cocktails of Valencia. It was created in Valencia around the 1950s and remains popular today. You may think that this is a special type of water due to its name but you’d be very wrong! This alcoholic drink contains cava (the Spanish champagne) as well as two different spirits. The Agua de Valencia ingredients are cava, vodka, gin, a bit of sugar and most importantly, fresh orange juice from Valencia oranges. These Spanish oranges are the best oranges for making orange juice. They’re sweet and fresh – perfect for a cocktail! You’ll find this cocktail available in any café or tapas bar in Valencia. It is often served by the pitcher (or jarra) so bring a friend to help you drink!
Agua de Valencia Recipe
To make Agua de Valencia, you will need:
- A pitcher (or jarra)
- 500 ml fresh-squeezed Valencia orange juice
- 300 ml cava (or champagne)
- 100 ml gin
- 100 ml vodka
- A spoon of sugar to taste
- Start by making fresh-squeezed orange juice (if you can find Valencia oranges, all the better). It may be a bit labor intensive, but trust me, you will taste the difference! Fresh-squeezed orange juice has a much lighter, fresher taste that will make your Agua de Valencia super refreshing. In Spain, many grocery stores have orange juice machines where you can simply press a button to get a liter of Valencia’s famous orange juice. Taste your orange juice and take note of its sweetness. If its on the bitter side, you may need to add some sugar.
- Pour all the liquid ingredients in your pitcher. Mix together and taste. If you used a bitter cava or type of champagne, this will also affect how much sugar needs to be added. Agua de Valencia is not meant to be a super sugary drink, but it isn’t meant to be bitter either!
- Grab a couple of large wine glasses and pour your fresh Spanish cocktail over ice. Chop a few orange slices and add them as a garnish. Clink your glasses, say “¡Salud!” and enjoy!
