A large chunk of the United States seems to be hooked on Mexican sodas nowadays, but there is a whole range of Mexican drinks beyond Coca-Cola that are made with real cane sugar.
Get out the bottle opener and take a drink.
See also: - -5 Recipes for DIY Agua Fresca - -DIY Alcohol-Infused Paletas
El Mexicano Jugo de Sabila A velvety smooth and almost gel-like canned aloe vera juice, its natural bitterness is masked by a hefty dose of honey and lime. Serve it chilled and watch out for the surprise gelatinous aloe chunks at the bottom.
Tepachito Original Pineapple Cider I'm a huge lover of tepache, a spiced drink made with fermented pineapple skin and piloncillo, but I hardly ever have the patience to wait a week till it's ready to drink. This lightly carbonated bottled version tastes just like the real thing, with just a hint of cinnamon and lime.
Sangrita Señorial A soda that tastes like sangria without the boozy buzz? That sticky sweet grape Fanta has nothing on this lightly fizzy but decidedly grown-up wine grape-based soda -- except for a horribly mind-numbing jingle.
Sidral Mundet Soda de Manzana A fruity but not overly sweet red apple juice-based soda with a serious bubbly kick. Think of it as the apple version of ginger ale, and then think of all the tequila-apple cocktails you could make with it.
Jarritos Tamarindo Soda For those who didn't grow up on it, tamarindo soda may be a hard sell. Like most Mexican sodas, it isn't overly sweet and it's loaded with some serious tang (and not the orange kind). This soda is a mouthful of tart tamarindo with a hint of citrus and just enough sugar and bubbles to make the whole thing work.
As proprietor of Muñeca Mexicana handcrafted food, Minerva Orduno Rincon makes everything from mole poblano to goat milk caramel to spiced (not spicy) cocoa. She's taking a summer break from farmers markets, but she'll be back in the fall.
