#14 Popular Mexico Drinks

In this article, we explore some of the most popular Mexico drinks. Some are very famous, like margaritas or hot chocolate, while others are less known but deserve to be in the spot line. All these drinks are frequently found in Mexico and are very appreciated by tourists and locals.

Mexican traditional food is a famous, beloved, and creative cuisine that reflects in its drinks. Unlike any country, you will find drinks with various ingredients, textures, and flavors.

Let’s explore the most Popular Drinks in Mexico, alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

Famous Mexico Drinks (Non-Alcoholic)

Chocolate Quente (Hot chocolate)

Hot chocolate is the quintessential Mexican Drink. Cacao was an essential ingredient in Mexico, predating the Spanish arrival. It used to be a trading currency, a symbol of wealth, and an ingredient in rituals and ceremonies in the past.

Nowadays, it didn’t lose its importance but is mainly used as a culinary ingredient. It is used in savory Mexican traditional foods, like moles, but mostly in sweets and beverages. It is worldwide renown.

There is nothing like Mexican hot chocolate. It has a unique flavor and is unlike other hot chocolates. In Mexico, hot chocolate is made with a blend of cacao and other spices like cinnamon, sometimes anis or chili powder. Usually, it is eaten with sweet bread (pan dulce) so you can dip it in.

Oaxaca is the best place to drink hot chocolate in Mexico, especially in Mayadormo; they serve the best Mexican hot chocolates we have tried. It is traditionally made in a specific jar of clay, and they use a wooden stick to mix the hot chocolate making it fluffy.

Atole

Atole is a Pre-Columbian hot beverage dating back to the Mayans’ civilization. It is sweet, silky, and delicious. There are different versions of atoles with various flavors like chocolate, known as champurrado, biscuit atole, vanilla atole, and many more.

Atole is made with corn flour, panela sugar (unrefined whole cane sugar), cinnamon, vanilla, and water. It is a comfort drink and very satisfying. It usually is drunk in the morning with a tamale.

Atole is one of the Yucatecan cuisine dishes you must try in Mexico, but you can find it all over Mexico. Not only in

Champurrado

Champurrado is an atole but flavored with chocolate. It is prepared exactly like atole, with corn flour, panela sugar (unrefined whole cane sugar), cinnamon, vanilla, and water, but it has cocoa powder. Some recipes also have anis seeds.

It is a delicious hot chocolate drink. Ideal for breakfast, as the atole. It is also sold in the whole of Mexico by street food vendors.

Pozol

Pozol is a prehispanic drink in Mexico. Made by indigenous people, like the Mayas, Zoqueans, Chiapanecas, and others. It is a drink made with water, fermented corn dough, and cocoa.

Pozol was thought to have medical properties and was used in religious ceremonies. It usually is unsweetened and sour with nibs of cocoa. It is served cold.

Today pozol is done with milk and horchata instead of water. And sweeten with sugar or honey. It isn’t the tastiest drink we tried, but I guess it is an acquired taste.

TOP TIP

Don’t mistake pozol for pozole, a traditional Mexican slow-cooked soup made with meat (chicken or pork ) or simply vegetarian and with hominy.

Cafe de Olla

Cafe de Olla is Mexican coffee prepared in traditional clay pots (olla de barro). To make this coffee, you must brew ground coffee, cinnamon, and piloncillo (unrefined whole cane sugar) in the clay pot. Some recipes have orange peels, anis, and cloves.

You will find this coffee in some bakeries and city markets. It is a fragrant and comforting coffee, but not very strong. Ideal for eating with a concha or a pan de muerto.

Agua del Dia (Water of the day)

Agua del Dia or Aguas frescas is a comon Mexican drink. It is made with fruit, cereals, flowers, or seeds blended with sugar and water. Basically, it is flavored water, so there has much more water than fruit.

You can find agua del dia everywhere – street vendors, convenience stores, cantinas, and juice bars. It is a staple in Mexican cuisine. There are different types of Agua del dia: papaya, guava, lemon, tamarind, agua da jamaica (made with hibiscus), or horchata (made with rice and milk) agua de chaya (yucatán traditional food).

Be aware they aren’t smoothies, as the fruit concentration is low. Smoothies are similar to licuados or preparados. Aguas frescas are normally made in advance and are ladled in large jars. They are so refreshing and satisfying.

Agua de Jamaica

Agua de Jamaica is an agua del dia made with Hibiscus flour. It is served fresh and sweet with a touch of tartness and acidity.

To make agua de Jamaica you need to do an infusion with the flower of hibiscus with hot water and sugar and then let it cool in the fridge. It is very refreshing, and you with find it everywhere in Mexico. It is possibly the most frequent beverage in Mexico.

Horchata

Horchata is a traditional Mexico Drink made with rice. Yes, it may sound weird, but it is delicious and refreshing. It usually is served in cantinas at lunchtime with the meal.

It is made by soaking rice and cinnamon in water. Then blend and strain it. Add evaporated milk and sugar. And let it cool down in the refrigerator. Although horchata can also be served warm, we never tried it.

You will also find horchata in Valencia, Spain, but it is made with a plant called chufa. It is different from the Mexican horchata.

Liquados

Licuados or preparados are similar to smoothies but are made with milk, fruit, and ice. It contrasts with smoothies that are usually just made with fruit and ice.

There are licuados of all types of fruits, and Mexican fruits are delicious. They are refreshing and dense. You can find them all over Mexico.

Refrescos

Resfrescos in Mexico are nonalcoholic carbonated soft drinks. Like Coke, Fanta, Sprite…

Drinks to order in Mexico – Alcoholic beverages

Tequila

Tequila is the most famous alcoholic beverage from Mexico and one of the best-known worldwide. Tequila is a distilled beverage made with blue agave.

Tequila can only be produced in Jalisco and limited municipalities in Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. The red volcanic soils of this region are ideal for the plantations of blue agave, giving it a distinctive taste.

Due to its heritage importance, Tequila’s agave Landscape and Ancient Industrial Facilities are a cultural UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mexico.

Be aware that tequila has 35 to 55% alcohol content, which is quite a lot. The traditional way to drink tequila in Mexico is simple without salt and lime.

Mezcal

Mezcal is also a distilled beverage made with any agave, while tequila is only made with blue agave. Mezcal is mainly produced in the region of Oaxaca, but there is production throughout Mexico.

It’s a beverage with an even higher alcohol content than tequila, with 55%. Mezcal is generally drunk straight rather than mixed in a cocktail.

There is a saying in Oaxaca: Para todo mal, mezcal, y para todo bien, también; y si no hay remedio litro y medio” (“For all bad, mezcal, and for all good, as well; and if there is no remedy, a liter and a half”).

Michelada

Michelada is a Mexican drink made with beer, lime juice, and various ingredients like tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, Maggi. It is served in a glass rimmed with salt or chamoy powder (powder made with picked fruit and chili powder).

There are different variations of Michelada. Chamoy Michelada is made with beer, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce hot sauce and served in a glass rimmed with chamoy powder.

You will find micheladas everywhere in Mexico, in bars, street vendors, and by the beach. It is said to be refreshing with a spicy kick.

Margarita

Margarita is Mexico’s most famous cocktail drink worldwide. It is made with tequila, triple sec, and lime juice. Sometimes, it has syrup.

It is served in a specific cocktail or champagne coupe called a margarita glass, with or without ice. The glasses are rimmed with salt.

Nowadays, there are a variety of margarita recipes with different flavors, like mango, strawberry, pineapple, and cherry.

If you want to learn more about Mexico cuisine:

• What to eat in Mexico? A Guide to Mexico’s traditional food
• What to eat in Yucatan, Mexico? 15 dishes you must try
• Traditional Mexico Desserts
• Mexican Street food