You’re reading From Scratch, a series deconstructing the food we eat (and the drinks we drink) to explore their history, their variety and the ways we consume them.
Aguas frescas, or fresh waters, are more than just refreshing drinks in Mexican culture — they’re a taste of home. Each cup holds flavors as deep and layered as the traditions behind them, blending fruit, flowers, grains and more to make a drink full of culture.
At Fresca Palapa, a kiosk nestled on the first and second floors of The Parks Mall at Arlington, founder and owner Máximo Cruz is on a mission to bottle nostalgia. For him, it’s about more than making a profit; it’s about sharing the feeling of culture, he said.
“I am so proud about Mexico, and I want to bring little bit of the taste of Mexico,” Cruz said. “That's why I bring the aguas frescas into a different, nontraditional market.”
In Mexico, aguas frescas can be found everywhere: lined up in big, clear plastic barrels and sold on the bustling sidewalks; poured at local mom-and-pop restaurants; and served in mercados, or markets, and taquerias.
History
These drinks are thought to have originated during the pre-Columbian 15th century, when the Aztec Empire ruled over much of what we now know as Mexico. The Aztecs would collect fruit and flowers, mash them and mix them with water to make hydrating drinks as they traveled along the waterways of Tenochtitlán, now Mexico City.
With the help of the Spanish trade network established in the colonial era, various popular flavors found nowadays were brought to life. As aguas frescas evolved regionally, ingredient variation began to grow, with fruit used more frequently compared to grains and flowers.
The clay pots that originally housed the drinks, keeping them a couple degrees cooler than room temperature, have been mostly replaced by the clear, plastic barrels we see today.
Over time, aguas frescas have become common among Mexican households and have been a part of families’ everyday meals since.
Variety
The drink has evolved, with inventive new flavors such as pistachio and dragon fruit. Horchata and jamaica (hibiscus) have become cultural staples.
The process of making aguas frescas depends on the flavor. Some start with steeped flowers, others with blended fruit or soaked grains.
Cruz said he tries to give customers as much variety as possible. While it’s common to only see a couple of flavors in shops, Fresca Palapa always offers an array of 12 flavors, with seasonal additions such as horchata pumpkin spice in the fall.
And for those who can’t settle on just one flavor, the shop also lets customers mix and match to their liking. It also offers reusable barrel-shaped cups as a nod to the containers used at mercados and taquerias.
Agua de horchata in particular has made a name for itself outside of those vendors.
Its sweet, slightly spiced flavor has even charmed big chains such as Starbucks and Dutch Bros, which have included the flavor in their menus’ horchata-inspired drinks.
At Fresca Palapa, the story is the same. Horchata is one of the most popular flavors sold at the juice bar, Cruz said.
What keeps customers coming back to Fresca Palapa isn’t just the wide variety – it’s the recipe behind each drink. Despite having to manufacture the drinks to keep up with customer demand, the shop uses original Mexican recipes for all of the flavors offered.
Impact
Almost half of Texas’ population is Hispanic or Latino, totalling approximately 11.4 million individuals according to 2020 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, making the culture prominent in the state.
Part of that culture comes from food and drinks, or in this case, aguas frescas.
The popularity of aguas frescas has allowed Fresca Palapa to grow from a small juice and smoothie bar at the mall to an establishment with at least 18 locations across Texas and Oklahoma City.
The shop has given Cruz an opportunity to share Mexican culture with his customers. Cruz said he gets satisfaction from the success of his shop and that it makes him want to achieve more.
“I want to be like the new Starbucks of aguas frescas,” Cruz said.
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