4 Delicious Agua Fresca Recipes and Bar

Four recipes for refreshing Agua Fresca! This drink is made from fruit, water, and sugar. They’re great for parties and to sip on warm summer days. The flavor ideas are limitless with combinations like Watermelon Agua Fresca, Cucumber & Lime, and Mango Pineapple.

Keep reading for everything you know on how to make agua fresca recipes.

In LA, when the weather is warm during spring and summer, these refreshing drinks are served at farmers’ markets, street fairs, and flea markets.

It’s a great way to cool down and sip something that’s refreshing and full of flavor. They’re always served in large glass barrel-like jars with ladles.

What is Agua Fresca

Agua fresca, Spanish for “cool water” or “freshwater,” it’s a mix of fruit, flowers or herbs, sugar, and water creating a refreshing and tasteful drink for a warm day!

It’s made by blending together chunks of fruit with sugar and water until its liquid. You can strain it through a sieve to remove the pulp or you can leave it! We left the pulp in our recipes below.

The best part about making this drink is that it can be made with virtually any fruit, so it’s fun to think of seasonal flavor combinations. They’re great for any celebration, especially a Cinco de Mayo party!

Also, check out these summer cocktail recipes and our favorite Italian sodas!

3 Steps to Make Agua Fresca

• Roughly chop the fruit.

• Add the ingredients (except the water) into the blender. My blender could only take half of the ingredients at a time, so I split it up.

• Pour the mixture into the containers, then add the water and ice. Each recipe makes 6 quarts.

Pro tip – If you want a smoother drink, strain the blended fruit through a sieve before adding it to the barrel with water and ice.

These are great for parties and entertaining because they’re colorful, taste delicious and you can be creative when brainstorming unique flavor combos.

This drink is traditionally served in these and you use a ladle to pour them into cups. You can also buy them here too.

We also serve this drink with a plate of fruit so guests can add in other berries for even more taste and color.

4 Delicious Agua Fresca Recipes and Flavor Combinations

This drink can be made with different types of fruit. For fun, you can create your own flavor combinations.

Juicy melons are always a great base, then add in some berries and even herbs! Here are a few of our favorites! We created these fantastic combinations and they are all so good!

What’s great about making these is that you can really alter the recipe to what you like. Add more fruit or less sugar depending on the flavor you’re going for.

Mango & Pineapple Agua Fresca Recipe

This recipe is made with fresh pineapple and mangos. It’s sweetened with sugar and then diluted with water to make it the perfect Agua Fresca.

Ingredients: Pineapple, Mango, Sugar, Water

Peach & Lavender Agua Fresca Recipe

Made with juicy peaches and fresh lavender, this is truly a beautiful flavor combination that makes a wonderful Agua Fresca.

It’s great for fall when peaches are at their best. You can also use dried lavender to make this recipe. See the full recipe in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Ingredients: Peaches, Lavender, Water, Sugar

Watermelon, Cucumber & Lime Agua Fresca Recipe

Watermelon Agua Fresca is a classic flavor that you will see at many outdoor events. It’s made with fresh watermelon juice, delicious cucumbers, and freshly squeezed lime juice. It’s our favorite recipe for a hot summer day. Garnish it with lime zest to give it a festive look and fragrance.

Ingredients: Cucumbers, Watermelon, Lime, Water, Sugar

Guava & Coconut Agua Fresca Recipe

Made with guava paste and coconut, this is one of our favorite flavor combinations. It tastes very tropical and authentic. It’s very easy to make too.

Ingredients: Guava, Coconut Milk, Water

Tips for Making Agua Fresca

• Remove any rinds and skin on the fruit before chopping.

• Use agave, stevia, or sugar to sweeten the drink.

• Use a powerful blender like a Vitamix.

• If you want a smooth drink use a sieve to strain the fruit after blending.

• Sometimes there is too much fruit for a standard blender. If that’s the case, we blend half and half.

Best Fruit for Aguas Frescas

If you want to add any additional fruit or create your own combinations, here are the best fruits and citrus to make this refreshing drink:

• Watermelon
• Orange
• Strawberry
• Nectarine
• Mango
• Mandarin
• Jackfruit
• Papaya
• Kiwi
• Pineapple
• Lime and Lemon
• Grapefruit
• Melon
• Coconut
• Peach

How to Store Agua Fresca

This drink is perfect to enjoy the day of or it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make sure it’s stored in a tightly sealed jug or bottle. You can also make it a day or two ahead of time and store it without ice in the refrigerator.

Agua Fresca Bar for a Party

This is a great drink to serve at a party! Make a few different, large-batch recipes and serve them in classic Aguas Fresca containers.

Place cups and ladles in each container on the bar. Have a platter of fresh fruit and berries out to garnish each refreshing cup.

When to Serve Agua Fresca

Now that you know how to make agua fresca, here are some ideas on when you can serve it!

Brunch

Pool Party  or Beach Bonfire 

Birthday Party or Carnival Party

Garden Party  or Tropical Party

Cinco de Mayo Party

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does agua fresca last in the refrigerator?

Agua frescas can be safely refrigerated for up to 72 hours. It’s best served immediately over ice, or you would add ice to your pitcher before serving. If you want to make some beforehand so that it can chill in the refrigerator without the ice. Then, when you’re ready to serve add ice to the pitcher 10 minutes before.

More Recipes You’ll Love!

Check out more of our favorite drink recipes and cocktails.

• Fruit Infused Gin and Tonic Cocktails

• Strawberry Tequila Sodas

• The Perfect Lemon Margarita Recipe

• The Best Ranch Water

• Iced Berry Lemonade

• Watermelon Lemonade

• Watermelon Recipes for Summer

• The Best Watermelon Juice

• Frozen Paloma

• A Refreshing Watermelon Cocktail Punch

More Fun Bar Ideas

We are huge fans of charming bar ideas for parties. Here are a few of our favorite ideas:

Snow Cone Bar

Ice Cream Bar

Mojito Bar

Spritzer Bar

Taco Bar

Mix and Match Cocktail Bar

Let us know what you think!

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