Mexican drinks and beverage traditions

The short answer

Mexican beverages draw on a few core ingredients. Corn, cacao and fruit form the base of many everyday nonalcoholic drinks, while the agave plant underlies the country's best-known traditional alcoholic drinks. Drinks such as atole and hot chocolate trace back to pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica. Coffee, beer and wine became part of the tradition after European contact.

Corn and cacao drinks

Atole is a warm, thick drink made from corn, typically masa (nixtamalized corn dough) thinned with water or milk and often sweetened or flavored. Champurrado is a chocolate version of atole. Both are commonly served in the morning or alongside tamales.

Chocolate was drunk in Mesoamerica long before it became a sweet treat elsewhere. In Mexico, hot chocolate is still often prepared with cinnamon and frothed with a molinillo, a carved wooden whisk spun between the palms.

Aguas frescas

Aguas frescas, meaning "fresh waters," are light, sweetened drinks made by blending fruit, flowers, seeds or grains with water. Common flavors include horchata (in Mexico usually made from rice and cinnamon), jamaica (made from dried hibiscus flowers) and tamarindo (made from tamarind pulp). They are a staple at markets and are commonly served with meals.

Agave-based drinks

• Pulque: a milky, mildly alcoholic drink made by fermenting the sap of the maguey plant. It dates to pre-Hispanic times.
• Mezcal: a distilled spirit made from agave. It is strongly associated with Oaxaca, and the flavor is often smoky from roasting the agave.
• Tequila: a distilled spirit made from blue agave and associated with the state of Jalisco. Technically it is a specific kind of mezcal.

Coffee, beer and later additions

Coffee and beer arrived after the Spanish conquest and are now firmly part of Mexican drinking culture. Café de olla is a traditional preparation brewed in a clay pot with cinnamon and piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar). Mexico also produces beer widely and makes wine, notably in Baja California.

Quick reference

Drink | Main base | Served | Alcoholic

Atole | Corn masa | Hot | No

Champurrado | Corn masa and chocolate | Hot | No

Hot chocolate | Cacao, often with cinnamon | Hot | No

Horchata | Rice and cinnamon | Cold | No

Agua de jamaica | Dried hibiscus | Cold | No

Café de olla | Coffee, cinnamon, piloncillo | Hot | No

Pulque | Fermented maguey sap | Room temperature or chilled | Yes

Mezcal | Distilled agave | Neat | Yes

Tequila | Distilled blue agave | Neat or mixed | Yes

What this guide does not cover

Recipes, ingredient proportions, alcohol content and production regulations are not included here, and preparation varies by region and household. Many regional drinks, such as fermented corn or pineapple beverages, have local histories that are better explored in region-specific references.