History
Agua de Valencia was invented in 1959 by Constante Gil Rodriguez, the owner of Cafe Madrid on Carrer de l'Abadia de Sant Marti. The legend says a group of Basque tourists asked for agua de Bilbao (Basque cava); Constante poured them a cava-and-orange-juice mix and named it agua de Valencia after his city. The recipe has not changed since: Valencian orange juice, cava brut, gin, vodka and sugar, served by the carafe. The drink became canonical across the city, with Cafe Madrid still the canonical pour.
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Common allergens: Sulfites (cava)
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 500ml fresh Valencian orange juice, very cold
- 500ml Spanish cava brut, very cold
- 60ml gin
- 60ml vodka
- 2 tablespoons caster sugar, to taste
- Ice
Method
- Squeeze the fresh oranges and chill the juice for 30 minutes.
- In a large jug, combine the orange juice, gin, vodka and sugar. Stir to dissolve.
- Add the cava, stir very gently (preserve the bubbles).
- Pour over ice in tall glasses and serve immediately.
Tip from the editors. Use real fresh Valencian orange juice (Navelina variety is canonical), never bottled. The cava goes in last to preserve the carbonation.
Where to eat agua de valencia
Agua de Valencia in Valencia
Cafe Madrid ★ 4.4
Cafe Madrid in Valencia is the 1959 birthplace of agua de Valencia, pouring the cava-and-orange cocktail by the carafe until 02:00 nightly. Family-friendly.
TryAgua de Valencia carafe
TipOrder by the carafe for two. The recipe has not changed since 1959.
Cafe de las Horas ★ 4.0
Cafe de las Horas on Carrer del Comte d'Almodovar in Valencia's old town is a baroque-decor cocktail and tea bar with a strong agua de Valencia pour.
DrinkAgua de Valencia
FoodCakes and tapas
TipOpen daily through the day; the room is most evocative at dusk. Reservations not taken.
More places near Cafe Madrid and Cafe de las Horas
Not on this list, but close by, nearest first. Every one is in our guide with its address, hours and what to order.
- La Riua Valencian Rice, about 150 m away
- Agua de Valencia at Cafe Madrid Street food, about 150 m away
- Tasca Angel Valencian Tapas, about 200 m away
- Bar Negrito Cocktail bar, about 250 m away
- Ghecko Nightlife, about 300 m away
- Federal Cafe Valencia Brunch, about 300 m away
More cities are in research. Want agua de valencia covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.