Best Valencian Beverage Types
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Agua de Valencia is a Spanish cocktail made with either cava or champagne, along with orange juice, gin, and vodka. The preparation of Agua de Valencia is simplicity itself – all ingredients are typically combined in a large pitcher, the cocktail is then left to chill, and it is later served in cocktail glasses.
It is believed that the first version of this cocktail was made in 1959 in Valencia by Constante Gil, at a bar called Café Madrid de Valencia. However, the cocktail gained popularity in the 1970s, when it became more well-known in the city.
Bombón coffee is a Valencian specialty that combines coffee and condensed milk. The drink is usually made with espresso, and it is assembled by pouring condensed milk first and then topping it with espresso. Because there is a difference in density, the beverages do not mix, and bombón is usually served in a tumbler glass so the layers would be visible.
Optionally, condensed milk can be swapped with creamy liqueurs such as Baileys. The drink is usually prepared with equal amounts of both beverages.
Roughly translated as weather coffee, café del tiempo is a variety of Spanish ice coffee. It consists of a cup of coffee that is served with a glass that is filled with ice cubes and occasionally a slice of lemon. The guest then sweetness the coffee according to taste before pouring it over ice.
This coffee is mainly prepared with plain espresso or espresso that is topped with steamed milk—in Spain, this combination is usually referred to as cortado. However, varieties may include café con leche, carajillo (a combination of Licor 43 and coffee), or café bombón (made with equal proportions of condensed milk and coffee).
Orxata (horchata) is a refreshing Valencian drink prepared by blending soaked tiger nuts (chufas), water, and sugar. It often includes cinnamon and sometimes lemon zest. The drink is enjoyed in the entire Valencian Community, but it most likely originated in Alboraya.
Valencian horchata is creamy and smooth, with a milky, off-white color, subtle sweetness, and nutty flavor. It is usually enjoyed chilled from mid-March until the end of the summer. Despite their name, tiger nuts are not classified as nuts—they are edible tubers with a hard, wrinkly shell.
Bobal is a native red Spanish grape that is native to southeastern Spain. This dark-skinned grape is cultivated in several regions, but it flourishes in Utiel-Requena DO, located in the province of Valencia, where it is the undisputed king.
It is estimated that it is the second most common red grape in the country, after Tempranillo. Bobal produces rounded red wines with medium to full body, rich tannins, and great acidity. The wines are deeply colored, dense, and fruity. They are rich but manage to stay fresh.
THE BEST Bobal Wine Varieties
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Herbero is a Spanish liqueur hailing from the Serra de Mariola mountain range in Valencia. Officially called Herbero de la Serra de Mariola, this herbal liqueur is made from aniseed and various mountain herbs. The drink can be distilled or macerated.
Along with anise, it is usually made with a selection of local herbs such as sage, chamomile, mint, verbena, peppermint, fennel, anise, lavender, thyme, and many more. Herbero can vary in color, from deep yellow-green to amber. It has herbal aromas and flavor, with a distinctive anise note.
Mistela is a traditional Valencian liqueur made from Muscat of Alexandria grapes. The liqueur is made by adding pure alcohol to grape must, resulting in sweet fortified wines with an alcohol content over 13%. Mistela is usually straw-colored and has intense fruity and floral aromas reminiscent of white flowers, honey, dry fruit, and hints of citrus.
On the palate, the liqueur is smooth, sweet, and balanced by bright acidity. The finish is long and intense. Mistela is usually enjoyed as a digestif, and it should always be well chilled. It can pair with appetizers, blue cheese, pastries, and chocolate.
The region of Castellón has a unique variation of carajillo—traditional Spanish coffee that is prepared with coffee and liquor. In this regional version, the alcohol (usually brandy, whiskey, or rum) is first heated with sugar, lemon rind, and coffee beans.
Optionally, cinnamon sticks can also be added. The alcohol is then shortly burned, and the combination is then topped with coffee. Traditionally, each carajillo will have a creamy layer on top (cremate). All the elements should be freshly prepared, and the drink should be served warm.
Cantueso is a Spanish liqueur made from the flower and the stalks of Thymus moroderi, locally known as cantueso, a small plant from the thyme family. The drink is produced by macerating the plant in neutral alcohol. The macerate is distilled, sweetened, and then rested in barrels for a minimum of two years.
Cantueso is a sweet and herbaceous liqueur. It is clear and colorless, though many producers opt to add caramel to attain amber or dark brown color. Typically, this liqueur has between 25 to 35% ABV. It is usually enjoyed neat, as a digestif, though it can also be used in mixed drinks.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Mentira, translated as a lie, is a Spanish cocktail that combines coffee liqueur and a granizado de limón—a typical drink similar to a lemon slushie or frozen lemonade. The combination was invented in Cocentaina at the beginning of the 20th century.
At the time, drinking alcohol was restricted and frowned upon, and the locals thought of a way of adding alcohol to a non-alcoholic drink so they could enjoy it without judgment. The drink is typically made with café licor—a local coffee liqueur that is popular throughout Alicante.
Best Valencian Beverage Producers
AWARDS

USA Wine Ratings - Gold
2021, 2020

Concours Mondial de Bruxelles - Grande Médaille d'or
2023
BEST Bodegas Murviedro Wines
AWARDS

Berlin Wine Trophy - Grand Gold
2023

Frankfurt International Trophy - Grand Gold
2019

Decanter World Wine Awards - Best in Show
2020
BEST Carmim Wines
AWARDS

Frankfurt International Trophy - Grand Gold
2024
BEST Bodegas Palmera Weinvertriebs KG Wines
AWARDS

USA Wine Ratings - Gold
2021
BEST Vicente Gandia Pla, SA dba: Vicente Gandia USA, Inc. Wines
AWARDS

Barcelona Beer Challenge - Gold
2023
BEST Cervezas Althaia Beers
Best Valencian Beverages
AWARDS

USA Wine Ratings - Gold
2021, 2020
AWARDS

Decanter World Wine Awards - Best in Show
2020
AWARDS

Concours Mondial de Bruxelles - Grande Médaille d'or
2023
AWARDS

Frankfurt International Trophy - Grand Gold
2019
AWARDS

Frankfurt International Trophy - Grand Gold
2024
AWARDS

Frankfurt International Trophy - Grand Gold
2023
AWARDS

USA Wine Ratings - Gold
2020
Crisp and fruity whites are dry, medium-dry or medium-sweet. They are typically crisply acidic, which balances their rich fruitiness. You can discern yellow plum, apple and peach notes in these wines. Crisp acids create a fresh finish, making these wines ideal for a variety of foods.
Try with different kinds of tapas or antipasti, shrimp salad or sushi.
AWARDS

USA Wine Ratings - Gold
2021
AWARDS

USA Wine Ratings - Gold
2021
AWARDS

USA Wine Ratings - Gold
2021
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