Horchata is a delicious Mexican drink made of rice and cinnamon that is not difficult to make at all. You only need to soak rice overnight in a bowl of water, not unlike the way you soak beans before you cook them. The rice will become soft and you will be able to grind the rice and cinnamon in a blender. You can buy Rum Horchata at the liquor store already made and it is very delicious, so that got me thinking that this homemade strawberry horchata would be perfect for adding a few shots of your favorite rum or tequila to make a horchata cocktail.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of long grain rice (washed and rinsed several times)
• 2 1/2 cups water (for soaking rice)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 12 fluid ounces of evaporated milk (whole milk will also work fine)
• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand Milk is good)
• 1 pound of fresh strawberries (frozen will also work fine)
• 2 cups water (for blended strawberry puree)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 pound of ice

Directions:

In the video, you will learn to soak the rice and broken cinnamon stick in water overnight to make the basic horchata ingredients that will be pureed in the blender. You will add all your other ingredients, evaporated milk, condensed milk, and vanilla extract to that mixture and mix well in a large pitcher.

Then you will blend your strawberries and water and make a puree that you will add to your other ingredients in the pitcher.

There are many other things you can add to this lovely Mexican drink, the sky is the limit here. This horchata lends itself perfectly to being the base of a cocktail.

Strawberry Horchata Recipe