Freshly squeezed orange juice meets ice-cold cava, and a measure each of gin and vodka gives the jug quiet strength. It tastes like a very grown-up Mimosa and is gone faster than you expect.
17 oz
orange juice freshly squeezed Valencia oranges if possible
17 oz
cava dry (brut), well chillede.g. Freixenet · Codorníu · Segura Viudas
2½ oz
vodkae.g. Absolut · Smirnoff · Grey Goose · Ketel One · Belvedere
2½ oz
London dry gine.g. Tanqueray · Gordon's · Beefeater · Bombay Sapphire · Sipsmith
2 tsp
sugar adjust to the sweetness of the oranges
1
orange sliced, for the jug
Garnish: Orange slices · Ice: Ice cubes
Agua de Valencia
Fresh, juicy orange with lively bubbles and a dry finish. Easy-drinking but deceptively strong because of the added spirits.
Agua de Valencia is the signature drink of the city of Valencia, a region famous for its oranges. The most widely told story credits Constante Gil at the Café Madrid in Valencia, who is said to have created it in 1959. According to the account, a group of Basque visitors regularly ordered "the best cava in the house", and Gil jokingly offered them "agua de Valencia" instead, a mix built on local orange juice and cava.
Whatever the details, the drink became a fixture of Valencian bars and is traditionally served from a jug and shared at the table. Recipes vary, but orange juice and cava with gin and vodka form the accepted core.
From Valencia in Spain. The usual account credits Constante Gil at the city's Café Madrid in 1959.
Around 12 to 14% ABV, a little stronger than wine. Because it tastes of fresh juice, it is easy to drink too quickly.
Then it is essentially a Mimosa. For a non-alcoholic version, use alcohol-free sparkling wine and leave out the gin and vodka.
The perfect sound
A sparkling Valencian night with orange blossoms in the air.
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