Agua frescas are the perfect drink to enjoy during the sizzling summer months. These refreshing, fruit-based drinks are not only delicious but also hydrating and packed with vitamins and antioxidants. Those health benefits are exactly what your customers want to see when deciding on a certain drink to order. This type of drink would be the perfect addition to your summer or happy hour menu. Here are a few helpful tips when making agua frescas at your restaurant or food establishment:
Use seasonal fruit: Take advantage of the abundance of fresh, seasonal fruits during the summer. Watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, mango, and peaches are all great options for making agua frescas, however there are many other types that can be added. Having a few of these fruit options will allow your restaurant to decipher which fruits may be more popular when it comes to this type of drink. Experimenting will help because if you decide between 3 to 4 options, typically a theme will be shown and give you a good idea of what your customers may want. That way you begin to start ordering specific fruits rather than many diverse types. Options always play well with customers, so having a few it always smart.
Keep it chilled: Agua frescas taste best when served chilled. Keep a pitcher of a fan favorite flavor in the fridge for your customers daily or you can make it fresh each time. Having a pitcher will save some time for your team if making it fresh is not ideal or possible for the restaurant. These styles of drinks will surely become a favorite type of drink that will create a lot of buzz for your restaurant this summer. This season is a time when consumers are interested in a fun, refreshing drink to pair with their meal and agua frescas can be just that!
Add herbs and spices: Herbs and spices can add extra flavor to your agua frescas. Mint, basil, and ginger are all great options for adding a refreshing and aromatic twist to the drink. These additions to your drink creation will be perfect for keeping the drink fresh and unique but taking away a little bit more of the sweetness. Some customers will not want a super sweet, tart drink, so adding the option of herbs and spices will please those two types of people. Of course, this can be left out for all of those sweet lovers out there, but having the option to cater to a wider variety of people is always ideal.
Make it a cocktail: Agua frescas can easily be turned into a cocktail by adding a splash of your favorite liquor. Tequila, rum, and vodka are all good options for adding an adult twist to these drinks. Having both options on your menu will increase the number of people that may take a chance of giving these types of drinks a try. During these warmer months, your customers will be searching for the perfect alcoholic sip and these drinks can be it for them. Be sure to specifically call out these drinks in your drink menu as “seasonal” or even add a promotional twist to it. You can advertise them as Limited Time Only as well as adding them onto Happy Hour Specials. A sense of urgency will be created amongst your customers, so they will want to try these drinks before the time runs out.
Serve at a summer party: Agua frescas are a crowd-pleasing drink that is perfect for serving at summer parties and barbecues. Set up a DIY agua fresca bar if your restaurant also has a food truck or caters any parties. A way this bar could be set up would be with a variety of fruits, sweeteners, and herbs for guests to mix and match their own flavors. This is a fun way to get the crowd engaged with the drink and be able to add their own personal touch. Whenever customers are creating something themselves, they tend to feel proud of the outcome so much so that they want to share it with others. That would result in a photo posted to their social media where all their followers would see how great the drink looks and how fun it was. This motivates those followers into stopping by and trying it out for themselves.
Overall, agua frescas are a delicious and healthy way for your guests to stay cool and hydrated this summer. Excite your crowd by adding this specialty drink to your restaurant’s menu and see the buzz of excitement as they wait to try them out. With so many flavor combinations to choose from, you can feature a different flavor every day of the week! Getting this out on social media or on your restaurant’s website is something that can easily be advertised to get your customers excited to come in on the different days to try the drinks. Have fun making this drink a part of your new summer menu!
