It is no secret that I love making drinks. Mexicans grow up drinking aguas frescas made from every kind of fruit (and a few vegetables thrown in!) or iced hibiscus or other teas, so it is no wonder that with the popularity of sparkling waters I had to come up with ways to dress up my bubblies!
Speaking of sparkling waters, I LOVE FIZZY WATER! There, I said it! As I’ve gotten older, my taste for sugar has decreased, so I have not completely abandoned my aguas frescas, but I definitely prefer them either unsweetened or considerably less sweet. So here is where sparkling water comes in - whenever I have a “sweet” drink like hibiscus tea, for example - I will top it off with sparkling water to make it less sweet, and of course, to add those wonderful bubbles. Someone offered me a sweet Sangría? Same treatment - add fizzy water; sweet lemonade? You got it, same thing.
So now that we’ve established my love for fizzy water, let me tell you about the BEST mineral water in the whole wide world! Its name is Agua Mineral Topo Chico, and it is made right in my home town of Monterrey, Mexico, with water from the springs of the Topo Chico mountain. The company has been around for over 125 years. Growing up in Monterrey I never gave it much thought, only took it for granted. Fast forward many, many years living in Canada and I finally have found it in Ottawa Latin stores! When I saw it on the shelf, I did a mental happy dance and immediately bought a few (glass) bottles. At almost $4 each they are not cheap, but for me, they are worth it for special memory-laden moments.
So, the question is how to drink this beautiful Topo Chico? Of course drinking it straight, ice cold is an amazing experience - it is so fizzy and mineral tasting that it is completely thirst quenching and I would probably do that if the weather was super hot (it’s only May, so we’re not there yet). So I decided to make a mock strawberry lime mojito and top it off with it.
This is one of my favourite ways to dress up kombucha, but it works really well for any fizzy water, whether it’s flavoured or not. You can use any berries or different soft fruit like kiwi or mango, use lime or lemon and of course the fresh mint! Muddle the fruit and herbs in the bottom of the glass and then top with the water. I prefer mine unsweetened, but if you like yours sweet, you can add simple syrup or agave. I prefer not to add any ice so I don’t water down my Topo Chico, but I leave that up to you.
I hope you try this method of sprucing up your drinks! Let the summer begin!!
Agua Mineral estilo Mojito de Fresa
Mojito-style Strawberry Mojito Fizzy Water
1/4 lime, cut into chunks
2-3 ripe strawberries, chopped
10 mint leaves
Simple syrup or agave syrup to taste (optional)
1 bottle ice cold Agua Mineral Topo Chico or any other fizzy water
Place lime chunks, strawberries and mint leaves in glass.
Using muddler or back of a wooden spoon, press on fruit until completely mushy.
If you’re using sweetener, this is the moment to stir it in.
Slowly pour in mineral water and stir gently so you don’t destroy the bubbles.
Enjoy immediately.
Serves 1.