9 Mexican Street Drinks You Can Make at Home: Easy Recipes

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Mexican street drinks can be warm, creamy, tart, fruity, fizzy, or spicy. This guide brings together nine popular drink families featured in our video, with clear home-friendly recipes in US measurements. Regional recipes vary, so use these as flexible starting points and adjust the sweetness to your taste.

Important: Tepache is fermented and may contain alcohol. The adult cantarito recipe also contains tequila. Serve those versions only to adults who choose alcohol.

1. Atole and Champurrado

Atole is a warm corn drink with a gentle, lightly thick texture. Champurrado is its chocolate variation.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups milk, water, or a mix of both
  • 3 tablespoons masa harina
  • 1/4 cup piloncillo or packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • For champurrado: 2 ounces Mexican chocolate, chopped

Method

  1. Whisk the masa harina with 1 cup of the cold liquid until completely smooth.
  2. Add the remaining liquid, piloncillo, and cinnamon to a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer.
  3. Whisk in the masa mixture. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until lightly thickened.
  4. Stir in vanilla. For champurrado, add the chopped Mexican chocolate and stir until melted.
  5. Remove the cinnamon stick and serve hot. Add more liquid if you prefer a thinner drink.

2. Traditional-Style Pineapple Tepache

Tepache is a lightly fermented pineapple drink with piloncillo and cinnamon. It is fruity, tangy, and naturally fizzy.

Ingredients

  • Peel and core from 1 ripe pineapple, scrubbed clean before peeling
  • 2 quarts filtered water
  • 3/4 cup grated piloncillo or packed brown sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick

Method

  1. Use a very clean large glass jar or food-safe container. Add the pineapple peel, core, water, piloncillo, and cinnamon.
  2. Cover with a clean breathable cloth and secure it. Leave at cool room temperature for 24 to 48 hours, checking it daily.
  3. When it smells pleasantly fruity and lightly fermented, strain it into a clean pitcher and refrigerate immediately.
  4. Serve cold over ice within a few days.

Safety note: Fermentation is variable and may create alcohol. Discard the batch if you see mold or notice an unpleasant spoiled smell. Never taste a questionable batch to test it.

3. Mexican Rice Horchata

This classic agua fresca gets its creamy texture from soaked rice and its warm flavor from cinnamon.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 4 cups water, plus more to dilute if needed
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Optional: 1/2 cup evaporated milk or plant-based milk

Method

  1. Soak the rice and cinnamon sticks in the 4 cups of water for at least 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
  2. Blend until as smooth as possible. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth.
  3. Stir in sugar, vanilla, and optional milk. Add cold water if it is too rich for your taste.
  4. Chill well and serve over ice with a little ground cinnamon on top.

4. Agua de Cebada, or Barley Water

Agua de cebada is a cool, pale drink with a soft barley flavor. It is a good alternative when you want something creamy but different from horchata.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup pearl barley
  • 5 cups water
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1/3 cup sugar, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

  1. Rinse the barley. Add it to a saucepan with 4 cups water and the cinnamon stick.
  2. Simmer until the barley is tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. Let it cool slightly.
  3. Blend the cooked barley with 1 cup cold water, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
  4. Strain if you want a lighter drink. Chill and serve over ice.

5. Agua de Jamaica

Agua de jamaica is a deep-red hibiscus drink with a tart, floral flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried hibiscus flowers
  • 4 cups boiling water
  • 2 cups cold water
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar, to taste
  • Ice and lime slices, optional

Method

  1. Place the dried hibiscus in a heat-safe bowl or pitcher. Pour over the boiling water and steep for 15 minutes.
  2. Strain out the flowers. Stir in sugar while the tea is still warm.
  3. Add the cold water and chill fully.
  4. Serve over ice. Add lime only if you enjoy a sharper finish.

6. Agua de Melón

Ripe cantaloupe makes a light, fragrant agua fresca that tastes best very cold.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups ripe cantaloupe cubes
  • 2 cups cold water
  • 1 to 3 tablespoons sugar, only if needed
  • Ice

Method

  1. Blend the cantaloupe and cold water until smooth.
  2. Taste before adding sugar. Sweet ripe melon may need none.
  3. Strain for a lighter drink, or leave it unstrained for more body.
  4. Chill and serve over ice.

7. Agua de Sandía

Watermelon creates the lightest and crispest fruit water in this guide.

Ingredients

  • 5 cups very cold seedless watermelon cubes
  • 1/2 to 1 cup cold water, only if needed
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
  • Sugar, only if the fruit needs it
  • Ice

Method

  1. Blend the cold watermelon briefly. Add water only if the blender needs help.
  2. Taste and add lime juice. Sweeten only if necessary.
  3. Strain if you prefer, then serve immediately over ice.

8. Mangonada or Chamoyada

A mangonada is a frozen mango drink layered with chamoy, lime, and chile seasoning. It is sweet, sour, salty, and spicy in the same cup.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups frozen mango chunks
  • 1/2 cup cold water or mango nectar
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • Chamoy sauce
  • Chile-lime seasoning, such as Tajín
  • Optional: tamarind candy straws and fresh mango cubes

Method

  1. Rub a little chamoy around the rim of two cups, then coat with chile-lime seasoning.
  2. Blend the frozen mango, cold water or nectar, and lime juice into a thick slush.
  3. Layer mango slush and chamoy in the cups.
  4. Finish with more chile-lime seasoning, fresh mango, and a tamarind candy straw if using.
  5. Serve immediately.

9. Cantarito: Alcohol-Free or Adult Version

A cantarito is a Jalisco-style citrus drink usually served in a small clay cup. This version lets you make a bright alcohol-free cooler or add tequila for an adult cocktail.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh grapefruit juice
  • 1/2 cup grapefruit soda
  • Ice
  • Salt or chile-lime seasoning for the rim
  • Optional adult version: 1 1/2 ounces blanco tequila

Method

  1. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of a clay cup or highball glass. Dip into salt or chile-lime seasoning.
  2. Fill the cup with ice. Add the lime, orange, and grapefruit juices.
  3. For the adult version, add tequila. For the alcohol-free version, skip it.
  4. Top with grapefruit soda, stir once, and serve right away.

Easy Serving Tips

  • Use very cold fruit and plenty of ice for melon and watermelon aguas frescas.
  • Sweeten gradually. Ripe fruit, hibiscus, and horchata all need different amounts.
  • Serve horchata with spicy food when you want a softer, creamy contrast.
  • Serve jamaica, melon, or watermelon drinks when you want a bright, palate-cleansing option.
  • Set out chamoy and chile-lime seasoning separately so everyone can control the heat.

Which Drink Will You Make First?

Start with horchata or jamaica if you want an easy introduction. Choose mangonadas when you want bold sweet-heat flavor, or make champurrado when you want something warm and comforting. Leave a comment with the drink you would try first, and add your video link above this article whenever it is ready.

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