agua fresca

noun

agua fres·​ca ˈä-gwə-ˈfre-skə 

plural aguas frescas

: a beverage consisting of water and sugar with fruits, grains, or seeds added for flavoring

For a rancho-style summer barbecue, we make a big glass barrel of agua fresca, and sometimes it's more popular than the beer or wine if the day is particularly hot.

—Jacqueline Higuera McMahan, California Rancho Cooking, 2001

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from American Spanish, literally, "fresh water"

First Known Use

1962, in the meaning defined above

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