Watermelon Agua Frescas

I’m putting together a Spanish summer supper and would like an appropriately festive (non-alcoholic) beverage to serve with the meal. Agua frescas are delicious with Latin-inspired dinners – a refreshing way to mitigate the heat of any spicy dish, in general.

Strain pulp from juice before serving.

Traditionally, agua frescas are made by mashing the fruit with a fork then adding the sweetened water; these days they are often made with blenders or food processors. I’ve made this recipe in the past, substituting cantaloupe and honeydew for the watermelon, and they were both delicious.

The most important piece of the recipe’s success is ensuring your fruit is ripe, at the peak of its natural flavor. I purchased an extraordinarily sweet watermelon at the farmers market last week and intensified the flavor a bit more with a simple syrup. You may omit this step, if sugar is a concern. The chopped mint and mineral water were a pleasant contrast to the sweet fruit syrup. If the fruit you use is pulpy, make sure to strain the excess pulp from the juice with a strainer.

Agua frescas can be made up to 48 hours in advance. All the beverage will need is to be re-stirred, poured into glasses, then garnished with an orange wedge and mint sprig before serving.