The Agua de Valencia cocktail originates from Valencia, Spain. It was first made in 1959 by Constante Gil at Café Madrid de Valencia. The cocktail can be served in pitchers then poured into individual cocktail glasses, for this recipe I’ll show you how to make a single serving and also give you the Agua de Valencia recipe for a pitcher or “jarra” as it goes by in Spain.
Agua de Valencia is a refreshing drink made with oranges, vodka, gin, and cava. Cava is sparkling wine from Spain and mostly produced in the Penedès area in Catalonia, Spain, which is about an hour outside Barcelona.
This post contains affiliate links. If you click my link, I make a small percentage (at no extra cost to you). This helps me keep the travel blog running.
What You’ll Need
Cava or another type of sparkling wine
Gin
Vodka
Oranges (5 oranges will make about 4 drinks)
Lime (1 lime is enough for 4 drinks)
Raw Sugar
Paring Knife
Cutting Board
Citrus Squeezer or a Citrus Juicer for the oranges
Small Mesh Strainer
Cocktail Shaker & Strainer
Jigger
Alcohol Recommendations
Cava
Freixenet
Freixenet is available at many grocery stores in the U.S. and at specialty wine stores. It’s the largest producer and exporter of cava. And it’s less expensive than most proseccos that you’ll find at the grocery store. You should have no problem finding Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut. Freixenet Carta Nevada Brut is also recommended however you’ll most likely have to go to a wine store for this one.
Vodka
Ketel One
Belvedere
You may have your preference for vodkas and should stick with what you know and like. If you’re not sure I definitely recommend either Ketel One or Belvedere. Ketel One is moderately priced and is a quality vodka. Belvedere is usually about a few dollars more. Both are smooth and great for mixed drinks.
Gin
Bombay Sapphire
My go-to gin for mixed drinks is usually Bombay Sapphire. The price is great and is almost always available wherever liquor is sold. It has a well-balanced taste that works well with the orange juice for the Agua de Valencia cocktail.
Agua de Valencia Recipe (single serving)
2 ounces – Freshly-Squeezed Orange Juice
1 ounce – Gin
1 ounce – Vodka
1/4 ounce – Raw Sugar Syrup
1 teaspoon – Freshly-Squeezed Lime Juice
1 ounce – Cava (add last after shaking and straining above ingredients)
How to Make an Agua de Valencia
To make your Agua de Valencia begin by making your raw sugar syrup. All you need is equal parts raw sugar and water. You’ll place it on low heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until all the raw has dissolved. Let it cool, then refrigerate.
Then you’ll want to start juicing your oranges and lime. I suggest using a citrus juicer or citrus squeezer and straining the pulp with a small mesh strainer. I typically use a juicer if I’m juicing more than a few oranges. A citrus squeezer is perfect for limes.
Now that you have your raw sugar syrup ready along with your oranges and lime juice you can begin to build your cocktail. Place the orange juice, lime, syrup, gin, and vodka into the cocktail shaker. As you do this you can “chill” your glass with ice or you can also place glasses in your refrigerator but you will need them to stay in there for at least 30 minutes.
Place ice into your cocktail shaker. Shake for about 8 seconds. You don’t want to shake it too long and over dilute your cocktail. Strain into a cocktail glass. This drink can be served into many types of cocktail glasses but traditionally it’s served in a coupe-style glass.
Top your glass with an ounce of cava, garnish your glass with a quarter wheel of orange or an orange peel, and enjoy!
Agua de Valencia Recipe (Pitcher)
You can also serve this cocktail in a pitcher. The recipe below is for 4 servings.
8 ounces – Freshly-Squeezed Orange Juice
4 ounce – Gin
4 ounce – Vodka
1 ounce – Raw Sugar Syrup
1/2 ounce – Freshly-Squeezed Lime Juice
4 ounce – Cava (add last after shaking and straining above ingredients)
Place all the above ingredients in a pitcher and stir with ice, and serve into individual glasses.
Enjoy! And if you want more “Cocktails Around the World” check out my other recipes.
If you tried this Agua de Valencia recipe leave a comment below and share a pic on Instagram with the hashtag #lewilddrinks.
Pin it for later!
