Bebidas
Mexican drink names
Agua fresca, horchata, atole, tepache, pulque, mezcal. Most Mexican drink names are the name of the plant or grain they are made from, and the agave spirits are named for the towns and regions that make them.
28 drinks, with meanings
Every name in one table
| Name | Means | Built from | Language | Say it | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atole | maize gruel | ātōlli (atole), containing ātl (water) | Nahuatl | ah-TOH-leh | nationwide |
| Bacanora | reed-covered slope | baca+noraco | Ópata | bah-kah-NOH-rah | Sonora |
| Café de olla | clay-pot coffee | Spanish café+de+olla | Spanish | kah-FEH deh OH-yah | nationwide |
| Champurrado | mixed-up one | Spanish champurrar (to mix one drink into another) + -ado | Spanish | chahm-poo-RRAH-doh | nationwide |
| Charanda | red earth | charanda (reddish soil) | Purépecha | chah-RAHN-dah | Michoacán |
| Chocolate | cacao drink | chocolātl (cacao drink); leading account chicolli (beater stick) + ātl (water) | Nahuatl | choh-koh-LAH-teh | Oaxaca |
| Corona | crown | Spanish corona (crown), from Latin corona (wreath, garland) | Spanish | koh-ROH-nah | Mexico City |
| Dos Equis | two Xs | Spanish dos+equis | Spanish | dos EH-kees | Veracruz |
| Horchata | barley drink | Vulgar Latin hordeata (made with barley), from Latin hordeum (barley) | Spanish | or-CHAH-tah | nationwide |
| Indio | Indian, indigenous person | Spanish indio (of India; applied by Europeans to indigenous Americans) | Spanish | EEN-dyoh | Nuevo León |
| Jamaica | hibiscus, roselle | Spanish jamaica (roselle calyx), from the island name Jamaica, from Taíno Xaymaca (land of wood and water) | Spanish | hah-MY-kah | nationwide |
| Margarita | daisy, pearl | Spanish margarita (daisy; also pearl), from Latin margarita (pearl), from Greek margarītēs | Spanish | mar-gah-REE-tah | Jalisco |
| Mezcal | cooked agave | mexcalli (cooked maguey leaves), from metl (maguey, agave) + ixca (to bake) | Nahuatl | mes-KAHL | Oaxaca |
| Michelada | my ice-cold beer | Spanish mi+chela+helada | Spanish | mee-cheh-LAH-dah | nationwide |
| Modelo | model, standard | Spanish modelo (model, pattern, example) | Spanish | moh-DEH-loh | Mexico City |
| Pacífico | Pacific, peaceful | Spanish pacífico (peaceful), the Spanish name of the Pacific Ocean | Spanish | pah-SEE-fee-koh | Sinaloa |
| Paloma | dove | Spanish paloma (dove), from Latin palumba | Spanish | pah-LOH-mah | Jalisco |
| Pozol | foamy maize drink | pozolli (stew of maize kernels) | Nahuatl | poh-SOL | Chiapas |
| Pulque | spoiled wine | Spanish reshaping of Nahuatl poliuhqui octli (spoiled wine), from poliuhqui (something ruined) + octli (agave wine) | Nahuatl (via Spanish) | POOL-keh | central Mexico |
| Raicilla | little root | Spanish raíz+-illa | Spanish | rye-SEE-yah | Jalisco |
| Rompope | eggnog | Spanish rompope, of uncertain formation; often linked to romper (to break, to beat) as in beaten eggs | Spanish | rom-POH-peh | Puebla |
| Sotol | palm with thin leaves | tzotolin / zōtolin (palm) | Nahuatl | soh-TOL | Chihuahua |
| Tamarindo | Indian date | Arabic tamr hindī (date of India) | Arabic (via Spanish) | tah-mah-REEN-doh | nationwide |
| Tejate | floury water | textli+ātl | Nahuatl | teh-HAH-teh | Oaxaca |
| Tejuino | heartbeat drink | tecuini (to beat, to throb, of the heart) | Nahuatl | teh-HWEE-noh | Jalisco |
| Tepache | fermented drink | tepiatl (a maize drink) or tepachoa (to press, to grind) | Nahuatl | teh-PAH-cheh | central Mexico |
| Tequila | place of work or tribute | tequitl+-tlān | Nahuatl | teh-KEE-lah | Jalisco |
| Victoria | victory | Spanish victoria (victory), from Latin victoria | Spanish | beek-TOH-ryah | Mexico City |
10 of these names were formed in one of Mexico's indigenous languages rather than in Spanish. See how Nahuatl builds words.
Back to all Mexican food names.