Horchata

Name: Horchata
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 1 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed; 3 cups cold water, plus 3 more for blending; 1 cinnamon stick; 0.5 cup whole milk or oat milk; 3 tbsp sugar, or to taste; 0.5 tsp vanilla extract; Ground cinnamon, to garnish

A creamy, cinnamon-scented Mexican rice milk drink — silky, subtly sweet, and entirely its own tradition.

More drinks like this

Base

none

Glassware

Highball glass

Flavor Profile

sweetrefreshing

Ingredients

1 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed
3 cups cold water, plus 3 more for blending
1 cinnamon stick
0.5 cup whole milk or oat milk
3 tbsp sugar, or to taste
0.5 tsp vanilla extract
Ground cinnamon, to garnish

Instructions

1Soak rice and cinnamon stick in 3 cups cold water overnight or for at least 8 hours.
2Remove cinnamon stick, then blend the rice and soaking water until smooth — about 2 minutes.
3Strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a pitcher, pressing to extract all liquid.
4Stir in remaining water, milk, sugar, and vanilla.
5Serve over ice in a tall glass and dust with ground cinnamon.

Origin & Story

Mexico, traditional (Spanish roots)

Horchata de arroz is one of Mexico's most beloved aguas frescas, made by soaking rice with cinnamon overnight, then blending and straining it into a milky white drink. It's sold from clay pots at taquerías and festivals across Mexico and wherever Mexican communities have settled. It has been a complete drink on its own for centuries.