Agua De Valencia: How to Make the Famous Spanish Cocktail

Agua De Valencia is a very famous Spanish cocktail based around oranges, preferably Valencia. Here's how to make the delicious, refreshing citrus cocktail.

For such a famous Spanish cocktail, the Agua de Valencia is tragically unknown outside its home country. Lighter and more refreshing than Sangria, it is easy to make but requires perfect ingredients to retain the crisp balance it is famous for.

Here we give you a rundown on how to make this delicious Spanish drink and tell you how to source the best ingredients for this cocktail!

History of Agua de Valencia

Invented in 1959 by Constante Gil at the Cafe Madrid in Valencia, the tale is now a staple of local folklore. Bored with drinking Cava, the sparkling wine produced in the region, a group of visitors asked Gil to produce something new and refreshing. He responded by adding orange juice, gin, and vodka to the Cava.

The citrus-based cocktail was named 'Agua de Valencia' (water of Valencia) and its popularity soon spread across local towns and eventually the rest of Spain. 

What are the Ingredients?

You will need:

• Orange Juice (ideally from Valencia oranges)
• Cava or Champagne
• Gin
• Vodka

How Do I Choose My Oranges?

The first ingredients you need are fresh, juicy oranges. Valencia is famous for its orange growing and offers extremely sweet yet tangy oranges. Other oranges will work but may lack sweetness and authenticity.

Now, juice your oranges, either with a machine or by hand. Make sure you have filtered out the pulp and pips. Set the juice to one side for a moment.

Choosing The Spirits

Next, you must choose your spirits. A crisp, clean vodka will work better but you can use any that you have in the house, avoiding flavored variations.

For the gin, make sure you have something that is not overly floral or herbal. It should have a clean taste and add just a hint of juniper. Mix both of these spirits into the juice. 

After adding the gin and vodka, taste. If you want the drink stronger, add a little more.

Cava or Champagne?

Cava and Champagne are very similar and depending on the price or brand of the bottle, you may not even notice much of a difference. They are both made in the same way and are both sparkling white wines. 

Try to go for a dry or semi-dry Cava. The juice in the oranges can be sweet and the dry wine can balance it out quite well. You can always add a spoonful of sugar if you prefer a sweeter cocktail.

Add this to the juice very carefully, making sure it does not fizz over the top of your pitcher. 

To Serve

Place cubes of ice in a long drink glass. Add slices of Valencia oranges to garnish and pour over the ice! You have just made the perfect Spanish cocktail.

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Our Rio box is a 15-lb curated box of our fresh-harvested citrus from South Texas. The fruit is NOT gassed, rather it is tree-ripened. Our season runs from Nov-May for  oranges, grapefruit and mandarins.

Our Grande box is a 30-lb box of either fresh-harvested Rio Red Grapefruit or Sweet Oranges from South Texas.