The most satisfying and popular way of cooling down on a hot day in Mexico is with an agua fresca, which are fruit-based non-alcoholic drinks sold from street stalls throughout the country. Made with watermelon, pineapple, mango, tamarind, lime, or other citrus fruits – usually with a little bit of sugar, water, and lots of ice – they’re really the perfect soft drinks for hot weather, in contrast to the extremely sweet fizzy drinks we tend to drink in Europe, which are actually dehydrating, if anything.

They also go superbly with food – a big jug of agua fresca is the perfect way to welcome guests arriving for a dinner party.

The other cornerstone of Mexican drinks is chocolate – which is more often enjoyed in liquid form than the bars we know and love in Europe. Historically, chocolate was drunk in Mexico long before it was eaten – most famously by the Aztecs. As distinct from straight-up cocoa, Mexican hot chocolate tends to incorporate almonds and cinnamon, and sometimes vanilla too – it’s a delicious late-night treat, or perfect for a mid-afternoon snack with churros, a very sugary donut. Just watch out for the impending sugar crash!

Just like drinking chocolate, Mexican coffee is not merely left as it is, but is adorned with intriguing spices and flavours – again, most frequently cinnamon sticks, which are placed in a simmering pan of milk, coffee and brown sugar, to give a rich, pungent aroma and a deep, delicious taste.

Finally, for those moments when you need a drink that will wake you up with a start, and possibly even make steam come out of your ears like a cartoon character, it’s got to be sangrita. See the recipe for full details – this is an easy to make, non-alcoholic, Mexican Bloody Mary, and it’s absolutely delicious. Feed it to an unsuspecting friend, wait for them to comment with surprise how tasty it is – and at that point explain they’ve just drunk something containing two raw chillies and a whole raw onion!