Deliciosa! September is Hispanic heritage month and the month when Mexicans celebrate their independence day. It is the perfect opportunity to enjoy my Mexican roots and prepare delicious and traditional Mexican treats and drinks. Mexican celebrations are filled with colors and deliciousness. Aguas frescas are delicious drink made out of various different flavors and fruit combinations that form a beautiful scheme of colors, and just looking at them is already a treat. My favorite agua fresca has always been jamaica. It's intense red and tangy but sweet combination will always bring a smile to my face. It is THE PERFECT drink to pair up with some taquitos or any other Mexican dish really. I love its taste. I wanted to give my traditional favorite a simple but very delectable twist, strawberry and tequila. Trust me, it is not only exquisite and fresh, but fun and different without losing its classic flavor.
Jamaica. What is Jamaica? It is a flower that is traditionally used to infuse water for delicious drinks and it is regularly known as hibiscus in the U.S. Hibiscus is mostly used for teas, but Mexican culture uses it for delicious cold and vibrant red drinks. It looks a little creepy if you ask me, but the flavor is incredible!
For one jar, I used about one cup of Jamaica and about two cups of strawberries.
Rinse the jamaica very well and pour one cup of water in a pot together. Bring to boil and let it boil for about 10 more minutes so that the jamaica can release all the color and flavor possible.
Chop the strawberries in little pieces and put them together in a separate pot with half a cup of water and one cup of sugar or more if you like. Let them boil for 5 minutes and then mash the strawberries until you get a nice puree.
Let both mixtures cool completely. Once entirely cooled, use a strainer to pour the boiled jamaica water without the residues.
Pour the strawberry puree without the strainer. One of the delicious things about aguas frescas is that they have super tiny chunks or pieces of fruits. So I decided to keep the strawberry seeds for texture. Feel free to strain the sauce if you prefer to do so. Add two cups of plain water.
And now for the special touch..... drum roll....... TEQUILA, si Señor!! Add one cup ( or more, nobody is judging) of your favorite tequila blanco and mix well, slowly. I used tequila Clase Azul Reposado. It is one of my absolute favorites and its bottle is so elegant.
Of course you can reserve a little without alcohol for the young ones or the pregnant guests. You will be very satisfied with this combination of flavors. I guarantee it!
I made this cute banner with my Cricut Machine. It reminded me of the beautiful talavera tiles that decorate beautiful Mexican homes. I found this scrapbook paper at Michael's and thought it was just perfect!
I just added yellow flowers to resemble the gorgeous designs on the tiles. My Mexican traditions and my heritage is something that i keep very close to my heart and try to keep in my lifestyle as much as possible. Our food, drinks and traditions are festive and full of color, one of the many reasons why I love being Mexican. Salud y Feliz Dia de la Independencia!
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