Agua de Valencia is the city's cocktail: Spanish cava blended with fresh Valencian orange juice, gin and vodka, invented in 1959 at Cafe Madrid.

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.

Where to eat Agua de Valencia in Valencia

2 editor picks for Agua de Valencia in Valencia, ranked by editorial score. All Valencia signature dishes · Agua de Valencia across every city.

  • Cafe Madrid

    Drink Agua de Valencia

    Cafe Madrid on Carrer de l'Abadia de Sant Marti in Valencia is the 1959 birthplace of agua de Valencia, the cava-and-orange cocktail invented here.

    DetailsDirections

  • Cafe de las Horas

    Drink Agua de Valencia

    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.

    DetailsDirections

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Make it at home

Serves 45 minEasy

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

  1. Squeeze the fresh oranges and chill the juice for 30 minutes.
  2. In a large jug, combine the orange juice, gin, vodka and sugar. Stir to dissolve.
  3. Add the cava, stir very gently (preserve the bubbles).
  4. Pour over ice in tall glasses and serve immediately.

Editor tip. Use real fresh Valencian orange juice (Navelina variety is canonical), never bottled. The cava goes in last to preserve the carbonation.

Common allergens: Sulfites (cava).