Anthony Lamas has fond memories of traveling to Tijuana, Mexico, while living in California just to get aguas frescas from street vendors, who would ladle the refreshing beverages over ice. The fruit coolers are simple combinations of fruits, and sometimes cereals or seeds, with sugar and water.

“To Latinos, not even lemonade can evoke summer like aguas frescas,” says Lamas, the executive chef of Seviche in Louisville, Kentucky. “In Mexico, for example, popular flavors include tamarind, passion fruit and mango, but since I am in the South, I like to use peaches and melons. It’s really about using what is local and in season.”

Five Refreshing Aguas Frescas: Anthony Lamas

1. Watermelon Agua Fresca
This is one of the most refreshing aguas frescas, and it makes great use of the abundance of watermelons available during the summer months. I recommend yellow watermelon, which provides great color.

1 whole watermelon, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (In Mexico, the seeds are served in the beverage, but you may wish to use a seedless variety or seed the melon.)
3 cups ice (crushed is easiest to measure)
Juice of 2 limes
2 cups sugar

Place the watermelon in a pitcher and use a potato masher to crush the fruit. Add the sugar and lime juice and cover the mixture with the ice and water. Stir for about 2 minutes to dissolve the sugar. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. To serve, pour the agua fresca over ice and garnish with a lime wedge if desired.

Get more Agua Fresca recipes at Eatocracy