Mexico with a splash of aloha

Fresca Hawaii Brings Authentic Mexican Agua Frescas to the Islands

Michelle Ramirez-Tirador, the owner and founder of Fresca Hawaii, says the idea for her business started with a craving.

"My husband, Jon, and I were at the swap meet one day, and it was so hot and humid, and all I wanted was a cold agua fresca like the ones I grew up drinking," she says.

Ramirez-Tirador was born and raised in Southern California, and both of her parents are Mexican.

Aguas frescas means "fresh waters" in Spanish and they are refreshing light beverages made from fruit, flowers and sugar.

"I wanted to create something that felt true to my roots, but also reflected the place I live now," Ramirez-Tirador says. "I wanted to bring the flavors I grew up with and share them here in a way that felt fun, refreshing and full of aloha."

She says all of the aguas frescas at Fresca Hawaii are made from scratch.

"That's something I'm super proud of because we don't use powders, artificial dyes or syrups," Ramirez-Tirador says. "Everything is made with real fruit and real ingredients, and that's really important to me because I want to stay true to the way I grew up knowing these drinks.

"Something that's also really important to us is trying to source locally whenever we can, especially when certain fruits are in season."

Fresca Hawaii serves its eye-catching drinks using "vitroleros" (Mexican jugs) and ladles.

Some of Fresca Hawaii's most popular drinks are the traditional horchata, jamaica y fresa, piña y mango, and ube horchata.

Small cups of any flavor are $7.50 and large cups are $8.50.

Traditional horchata is a creamy drink made from rice, cinnamon, vanilla, milk and cane sugar. It is a favorite of customers.

Ramirez-Tirador describes the jamaica fresa as a super refreshing mix of hibiscus (jamaica) and strawberry with the perfect balance of tart and sweet. The hibiscus flower is sourced from Mexico, she adds.

Piña y mango is another fan favorite because it's tropical. The drink is crafted with pineapple and mango along with cane sugar.

Ube horchata is one of the company's special drinks and definitely one that gets a lot of attention.

"It's a fun twist on our traditional horchata, made with that same authentic horchata base and we then add our housemade ube syrup. We top it off with whip cream and more ube. It's definitely a sweet dessert," Ramirez-Tirador explains.

She adds that soon, however, the company will offer its 1-gallon aguas frescas through orders placed directly through Instagram.

Currently customers can order in person at various pop-up events and Ramirez-Tirador urges folks to check Fresca Hawaii on Instagram (@fresca_hawaii) for updates and to find out where the business will be popping up next.