Beverages and Drinks

Aguas frescas are fresh fruit drinks that are very popular all over Mexico. These refreshing beverages are typically served from large barrel-shaped glass containers. Some of the more traditional varieties are watermelon, cantaloupe and strawberry. Read more »

Atoles are very popular beverages in El Salvador with roots in Mayan cuisine. They are a sort of thick drink often eaten with a spoon. Atol de elote is based on fresh corn (elote) and has a wonderfully fresh flavor. For ultimate effect, serve it in a bowl made out of a dried calabash gourd. Read more »

Atole (ah-TOH-lay) is an ancient Mexican beverage with origins in pre-Columbian times. Similar warm drinks, thickened with cornmeal, are found throughout Central America and are especially popular for breakfast. Mexican atole is traditional at dia de los muertos celebrations, and it's chocolate version, champurrado, is popular at Christmastime. The consistency of atole varies anywhere from almost porridge-like to a thin, pourable drink. Read more »

This refreshing cocktail was first served in Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy, sometime in the 1930s or '40s. Named after the Renaissance artist Giovanni Bellini, this beautifully hued beverage is traditionally made with white peaches. If you can't find white peaches, regular peaches will do. Bellinis make the perfect beverage for brunches and New Year's or other celebrations. Read more »

Coquito is a popular Christmas beverage in Puerto Rico. It has similarities to American eggnog, but the use of creme de coco or coconut milk gives it a unique island flavor. A version with eggs, known as ponche crema, is a favorite in Venezuela. Read more »

Cuáker is a popular and healthy children's drink in Ecuador. Its name is the Spanish version of the name of the company most famous for selling oats and oatmeal. Beverages based on oats are popular throughout Central and South America. Read more »

Although descended from European winter restorative beverages, or "noggins," eggnog is an American invention that appeared in the late 1700s. Over the years, this rich and creamy drink, spiked with rum, has become an American Christmas tradition. Read more »

The frappé (Φραπέ) is Greece's favorite summer drink. During hot weather Athenians lounge at street cafes, slowly sip a frappé and watch the people go by. Read more »

Ginger beer is a very popular beverage in Jamaica. This zingy drink goes well with spicy jerk chicken or pork. It is sometimes fermented, but the simpler, non-alcoholic recipe version is given here. Read more »

Horchata (or-CHA-tah) is a milky white, sweet beverage that was introduced to Spain by the Moors. The original Spanish version is made with ground tiger nuts and is especially popular in Valencia. In Latin America, where the tiger nut is not commonly available, pulverized rice is used. In Mexico, horchata is one of the most common aguas frescas and is ladled from large glass jars set in ice. Read more »

Kvas (квас) is an ancient and beloved beverage from Slavic Europe. While it is basically a low-alcohol beer, it is enjoyed as a soft drink, even by small children. Factory-made versions have been available for some time and many are quite good. But homemade will always be best. Often spelled "kvass." Read more »

Lassi is a cooling yogurt beverage originally from the northern part of India. Traditionally lassi is unsweetened and has a pinch of salt and some spices mixed in. More recently, sweetened fruit lassis have become very popular drinks, both in India and around the world. Read more »

Lemonade and its basic theme of lemon juice, sugar and water is a popular drink around the world. It is a summertime favorite in the United States, where ramshackle stands selling glasses of the sweet-tart beverage are a favorite way for children to earn a little spending money. Read more »

This popular after-dinner liqueur from the south of Italy is classically made with lemons from the Isle of Capri. Families all along the Amalfi Coast make their own with lemons from backyard gardens. Read more »

Indian masala chai, often known simply as chai in the English-speaking world, should be spicy, milky and strong. There is no one true recipe for masala chai. Adjust the spices to your taste. Any black tea will do, but Darjeeling or Assam is best. Tea vendors in India are known as chai wallahs. Read more »

This mojito is Cuba's answer to the mint julep -- perfect on a hot summer day. Mojitos have been around since at least the mid-1800s. They were reputedly one of Hemingway's favorite drinks. According to a quote attributed to him, those at "La Bodeguita" bar in Havana were the best. Read more »

Mulled wine, as this warm spiced wine is known in England, is popular throughout northern Europe around Christmas. In France this warming winter beverage is known as vin chaud, in Italy as vin brûlé. Germans drink Glühwein. The Swedish name for it is glögg. Read more »

This drink--whose name simply means "strained pineapple"--was invented in the 1950s or 1960s in San Juan, Puerto Rico, by either Ramon Marrero at the Caribe Hilton or by Don Ramon Portas Mingat at Barranchina Bar , depending on whom you believe. Whoever made it first, it's delicious. Read more »

Pisco is a type of brandy made from muscat grapes that is found in Peru and Chile. Even though it is named after Peruvian town, both countries claim the pisco sour as their national drink. Read more »

Depending on whom you believe, planter's punch was either created by the wife of a Jamaican plantation owner, or at the Planter Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. Regardless, this fruity punch has become a popular beverage to serve to guests throughout the Caribbean. Recipes vary widely, but they all contain rum, lime juice and a sweetener or other fruit juices. Read more »

Sangría is the classic Spanish accompaniment to summertime meals. It is not necessary to use an expensive wine, but you should try to use something Spanish. A tempranillo would work very nicely. Read more »

Luxuriously rich and creamy, sweet avocado shakes are a favorite Vietnamese dessert or mid-afternoon snack. Avocados, known as "butter fruit" in Vietnam, are used as a dessert ingredient throughout southeast Asia. The Indonesian version of the avocado shake, es apokat, adds coffee or chocolate syrup. Brazilians enjoy creme de abacate. These smoothies may pack a lot of calories, but the fat in avocados is the kind that's good for you. So don't feel so guilty -- indulge! Read more »

Sorrel punch is a traditional Christmas beverage in the Caribbean. Dried hibiscus flowers — known as sorrel in Jamaica and not to be confused with the pungent green — can be found in most Caribbean or Latin markets. In Latin markets hibiscus flowers are known as jamaica, and so is the beverage. In West Africa the flowers are known as roselle or bissap and in Nigeria the drink is called zobo. Read more »

Sweet tea is basically your regular iced tea, but brewed with a whole lot of sugar and often a squeeze of lemon. This easy, cheap beverage is very popular in the Southern United States during the hot, humid summer months.When you ask for a tea in the South, people often assume you mean sweet tea. Read more »

Tej, or tejj, is an Ethiopian sweet wine, similar to mead, that is made from fermented honey and a special kind of hops called gesho. It is traditionally served from a vase-like vessel called a berele. If you can't find tej or mead in your neighborhood, this recipe is a rough approximation. Read more »

Telba is a healthy and refreshingly creamy beverage. Be careful how much you drink, though. Telba is a mild laxative. Read more »