Aigua de València

Difford’s Guide
Discerning Drinkers (44 ratings)

Photographed in a Speakeasy Gin and Tonic 19.75oz

Ingredients:
2 12 oz Cava sparkling wine chilled
1 oz Hayman's London Dry Gin
1 oz Ketel One Vodka
1 oz Orange juice (freshly squeezed)
13 oz Monin Pure Cane Syrup (65.0°brix, equivalent to 2:1 rich syrup)
× 1 1 serving
Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

  1. Select and pre-chill a Copa glass.
  2. Prepare garnish of orange slice wheel.
  3. Slowly, POUR sparkling wine into ice-filled glass.
  4. STIR other ingredients with ice.
  5. STRAIN into glass over sparkling wine.
  6. Garnish with orange slice.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Strength 6/10
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
Sweet to sour 5/10
Cocktail of the day:

27th March 2025 is Paella Day

Review:

This boozier Spanish take on a Mimosa is authentically made with the juice of oranges from the Valencia region. Perfect for a lazy hot afternoon, preferably served with some Spanish sun.

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History:

Aigua de València (Valencian Water) is often made and served as a punch in pitchers and is a popular drink in the tapas bars of the eponymous Spanish city.

Aigua de València was first made in 1959 by Constante Gil at Café Madrid in Valencia and the story goes that a group from the Basque Country had become regulars at the bar with their usual order being "Agua de Bilbao", meaning Water of Bilbao and referring to cava. (The majority of cava is produced in Catalonia, but there is also some production in the Basque Country.) Challenged to devise an alternative for the group, Gil created "Agua de Valencia" by adding local orange juice and then fortifying the mixture with gin and vodka. This proved a hit with the group and became a staple at the bar before finding broader appeal in other Valencian bars during the 1970s.

Nutrition:

One serving of Aigua de València contains 248 calories

Alcohol content:

  • 1.9 standard drinks
  • 15.01% alc./vol. (15.01° proof)
  • 26.3 grams of pure alcohol

Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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Sandip Gohil’s Avatar Sandip Gohil
21st September 2023 at 04:28
Was in Valencia last week and had a few of these. It is pure lethality in a glass mixed with that heat and humidity. Delicious, but lethal.
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Anonymous

11th September 2021 at 15:39
Tried it with ‘vanilla infused’ vodka and enjoyed it on a sunny evening.
John Hinojos’ Avatar John Hinojos
7th May 2021 at 19:43
Great and very refreshing. We had with a Mexican lunch and it was perfect. I would also consider this for a brunch.
20th March 2021 at 21:06
Smakar obestämt. Kanske var mina apelsiner övermogna...
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Anonymous

12th February 2021 at 18:22
My wife's family is from Valencia and we prefer using 43 instead of vodka and so no sugar syrup needed.
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Anonymous

13th January 2021 at 03:12
Am I missing something? The Spanish word for water is agua. Why is this Aigua?
[deleted user]
13th January 2021 at 09:05
Aigua is ‘water’ in the dialect of Valencia, where this drink originates. It was introduced to us by my father, a proud Valencian, and so it felt fitting to use the native spelling.