Tulsi tea, lime, agave—served chilled or over ice, it’s the perfect mood-supportive cup of joy for a swelteringly hot summer day. Aguas frescas are my go-to warm weather drink, and with good reason! They’re incredibly simple and (bonus) very easy to combine with herbal tea for an extra kick of botanical support or flavor. And when the thermometer hits 100, and I can hardly stand to be in the kitchen, throwing fruit, tea, lime, and sweetener into a blender makes for a great, almost-instant snack, not to mention a fabulous natural hydrator.
Aguas frescas hail from Mexico, land of sun and siestas. They’re essentially a whole fresh juice—like a cross between a juice and a smoothie. I personally love to eat sweet fruits with the natural fiber, as it helps the body to process the sugars more slowly. And, helpfully, it’s a perfect way to work through all of the extra ripe fruit you have lying around from your last trip to the farmers’ market.
If you're going alcohol-free this summer, a well-blended agua fresca can be tailored to offer a nutritious alternative beverage featuring the best flavors of your favorite blended margarita, piña colada, or daiquiri.
So let’s talk a bit about combining a traditional agua fresca with tea.
Aquas frescas are one part fruit to one part water, so tea is an easy substitution for the water. The idea is to maximize the support you can get out of a glass of cold fruit juice by adding herbs like tulsi, rose, mint, or lemon balm—all of which have traditionally been used for mood support.
You could use any number of herbal teas, from solo herbs like hibiscus to blends like Lemon Tea or Grateful Heart Tea.
Ideally, choose teas that are light, citrusy, sweet, or minty for the best flavor combinations with fruit. I would shy away from earthy, rich, savory, or spiced teas like dandelion or chai. I also suggest avoiding lavender, as it can have a soapy flavor when combined with many fruits.
The best fruits for aguas frescas, from what I’ve tested in my kitchen, are smooth, mostly seedless, and the juicier the better. Fruits with more natural acid keep their bright color the best.
These fruits are great as well, but you’ll want to strain the juice through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds:
Makes 2 servings, or about 2 cups.
Ingredients
Two of my favorite combinations are a floral watermelon or a minted cantaloupe agua fresca blend, available on my natural lifestyle and recipe blog, Will Frolic For Food. Here, I'm excited to share a third winning combination: holy basil with strawberry, which serves as a nice take on a virgin strawberry daiquiri!
Makes 2 servings or about 2 cups.
Ingredients
Directions
And just in case those aren’t enough options for you, here are some of my OTHER favorite flavor combinations!
Pro-Tip: Avoid cherries and bananas, as they both make for unfortunately brown aquas frescas.
You may also like:
Topics: Culinary, Recipes, Tea & Herbal Drinks
Renee Byrd is a photographer, writer, blogger, and yoga teacher based out of Charlottesville, VA. She is the creator and voice of Will Frolic for Food (est. 2012), a food and lifestyle blog celebrating the joy of eating and living vibrantly. Expressing her love for healthy creative food, herbalism, mindfulness and self-care through her blog, Renee posts everything from recipes to lifestyle guides. She creates full time both by maintaining her blog and doing commissioned work for clients. Her recipes and work have been featured by Better Homes and Gardens, Thrive Magazine, The Kitchn, Urban Outfitters, Self Magazine, Shape Magazine, Alive Magazine, The Local Palate and many more. Renee’s days consist of boat-loads of herbal tea, a fair amount of coffee, teaching and practicing yoga, gathering herbs from the garden, cooking, shooting, styling and editing from her home studio. When she’s not working she loves to dance, eat delicious food, host low key dinner gatherings, paddle board, and goof around with her husband.
Tulsi tea, lime, agave—served chilled or over ice, it’s the perfect mood-supportive cup of joy for a swelteringly hot summer day. Aguas frescas are my go-to warm weather drink, and with good reason! They’re incredibly simple and (bonus) very easy to combine with herbal tea for an extra kick of botanical support or flavor. And when the thermometer hits 100, and I can hardly stand to be in the kitchen, throwing fruit, tea, lime, and sweetener into a blender makes for a great, almost-instant snack, not to mention a fabulous natural hydrator.
Aguas frescas hail from Mexico, land of sun and siestas. They’re essentially a whole fresh juice—like a cross between a juice and a smoothie. I personally love to eat sweet fruits with the natural fiber, as it helps the body to process the sugars more slowly. And, helpfully, it’s a perfect way to work through all of the extra ripe fruit you have lying around from your last trip to the farmers’ market.
If you're going alcohol-free this summer, a well-blended agua fresca can be tailored to offer a nutritious alternative beverage featuring the best flavors of your favorite blended margarita, piña colada, or daiquiri.
So let’s talk a bit about combining a traditional agua fresca with tea.
Aquas frescas are one part fruit to one part water, so tea is an easy substitution for the water. The idea is to maximize the support you can get out of a glass of cold fruit juice by adding herbs like tulsi, rose, mint, or lemon balm—all of which have traditionally been used for mood support.
You could use any number of herbal teas, from solo herbs like hibiscus to blends like Lemon Tea or Grateful Heart Tea.
Ideally, choose teas that are light, citrusy, sweet, or minty for the best flavor combinations with fruit. I would shy away from earthy, rich, savory, or spiced teas like dandelion or chai. I also suggest avoiding lavender, as it can have a soapy flavor when combined with many fruits.
The best fruits for aguas frescas, from what I’ve tested in my kitchen, are smooth, mostly seedless, and the juicier the better. Fruits with more natural acid keep their bright color the best.
These fruits are great as well, but you’ll want to strain the juice through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds:
Makes 2 servings, or about 2 cups.
Ingredients
Two of my favorite combinations are a floral watermelon or a minted cantaloupe agua fresca blend, available on my natural lifestyle and recipe blog, Will Frolic For Food. Here, I'm excited to share a third winning combination: holy basil with strawberry, which serves as a nice take on a virgin strawberry daiquiri!
Makes 2 servings or about 2 cups.
Ingredients
Directions
And just in case those aren’t enough options for you, here are some of my OTHER favorite flavor combinations!
Pro-Tip: Avoid cherries and bananas, as they both make for unfortunately brown aquas frescas.
You may also like:
Topics: Culinary, Recipes, Tea & Herbal Drinks
Renee Byrd is a photographer, writer, blogger, and yoga teacher based out of Charlottesville, VA. She is the creator and voice of Will Frolic for Food (est. 2012), a food and lifestyle blog celebrating the joy of eating and living vibrantly. Expressing her love for healthy creative food, herbalism, mindfulness and self-care through her blog, Renee posts everything from recipes to lifestyle guides. She creates full time both by maintaining her blog and doing commissioned work for clients. Her recipes and work have been featured by Better Homes and Gardens, Thrive Magazine, The Kitchn, Urban Outfitters, Self Magazine, Shape Magazine, Alive Magazine, The Local Palate and many more. Renee’s days consist of boat-loads of herbal tea, a fair amount of coffee, teaching and practicing yoga, gathering herbs from the garden, cooking, shooting, styling and editing from her home studio. When she’s not working she loves to dance, eat delicious food, host low key dinner gatherings, paddle board, and goof around with her husband.
