5 Refreshing Cinco de Mayo Drinks To Quench Your Thirst

Feliz Cinco de Mayo! Contrary to popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not actually Mexican Independence Day, but a day meant to celebrate a major victory for the Mexican army over the French. Nonetheless, it is still a day that is heavily celebrated across the U.S. to venerate Mexican culture, typically with a major emphasis on the food, drinks and music. In honor of the day, we’re sharing five refreshing drink recipes that are all guaranteed to quench your thirst. From authentic Horchata, to start your morning right, to a grilled pineapple jalapeno margarita to spice it up and get you into the groove of things tonight, these drinks are sure to pair perfectly with any festivities you have planned.

Authentic Horchata

Authentic Horchata - Cinco de Mayo Drinks
Photo & recipe via My Latina Table

Ingredients

1 cup of white rice

1 1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup chopped almonds

1 cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 cup of evaporated milk

1½ cup of milk or almond milk

1 liter of water

Ice

Directions

  1. Soak the rice, cinnamon & almonds in a bowl of water for at least 5 hours or until the rice has slightly softened
  2. Strain the water & blend the ingredients that were soaking with evaporated milk until it is a completely smooth consistency
  3. Strain the mixture into a pitcher & add the sugar, vanilla, & milk until it is well mixed
  4. Add the liter of water to the mixture & serve over ice

Strawberry Margarita Punch

Strawberry Margarita Punch - Cinco de Mayo Drinks
Photo & recipe via The Cookie Rookie

Ingredients

16 ounces of frozen strawberries

1 can frozen limeade concentrate

4 cups of water

1 to 2 tablespoons agave nectar

1½ cups of tequila

2 cups orange juice

4 cups of strawberry soda

1/4 cup sugar

Strawberries for garnish & salt to rim glasses

Directions

  1. Blend together the strawberries, sugar & 1 cup of water until smooth
  2. In a large pitcher, add the blended strawberry mixture, limeade, orange juice, soda, agave nectar, tequila & 3 cups of water & stir until well combined
  3. Serve this sweet mixture over ice & garnish your cups with salt & strawberries to be extra festive. (Alcohol can also be left out so the kids can join in on the fun too!)

Peach Agua Fresca

Peach Agua Fresca - Cinco de Mayo Drinks
Photo & recipe via Little Spice Jar

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

7 medium sized peaches, peeled & sliced

4 cups of cold water

Sweetener of choice, to taste

3 tablespoons lime juice

Jalapeno slices, for garnish

Directions

  1. Blend together the peaches, water, sweetener & lime juice on high until well combined and smooth. (Taste for preferred sweetness & adjust accordingly)
  2. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer and allow to chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour
  3. Serve the delicious mixture over ice with a few sliced jalapenos

Cucumber Green Tea Mojito

Cucumber Green Tea Mojito - Cinco de Mayo Drinks
Photo & recipe via Jerry James Stone

Ingredients

1½ cups of light rum

4 limes, additional for garnish

20 mint leaves

1 cup brewed green tea

1 cucumber sliced, additional for garnish

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup water

Directions

  1. Make a simple sugar by heating the sugar, water & cucumber on medium-high until the sugar is dissolved
  2. When simple sugar has cooled to room temperature, strain out the cucumber and place in the fridge to chill
  3. Add mint leaves & juice from half of a lime to a cocktail mixer then muddle the mint
  4. Combine the remaining lime juice, 1/3 cup rum, 1/4 cup green tea & 1/4 cup cucumber simply syrup
  5. Serve over ice with a bit of club soda and mint, lime & cucumber slices for garnish

Grilled Pineapple Jalapeno Margarita

Grilled Pineapple Jalapeno Margarita - Cinco de Mayo Drinks
Photo & recipe via Platings & Pairings

Ingredients

1 cup silver tequila

1 jalapeno, sliced into rings

1½ ounces jalapeno infused tequila

½ ounces triple sec

2 1-inch thick slice of grilled pineapple, chilled

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (juice of 1 lime)

2 tablespoons agave, to taste

¾ cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crushed ice

Grilled pineapple & lime wedges for garnish

Salt, for rimming your glass

Directions

  1. For the tequila infused jalapeno add the silver tequila & jalapeno to a lidded container, shake and allow to sit for 12-24 hours then strain the jalapenos
  2. Grill the pineapple rings on medium-high for 4-5 minutes on each side, until nice grill marks appear & place in the fridge to chill
  3. Blend the jalapenos, triple sec, 2 slices of the grilled pineapple, lime juice, agave, vanilla extract & water until smooth and run through a fine mesh strainer
  4. Serve the mixture over crushed ice and garnish the rim with salt, grilled pineapple or limes

 

Pour up and enjoy!