Forget pumpkin spiced lattes, there’s a new coffee alternative for autumn

PSL fans, get ready… (Picture: Rob Buckhaven) Make way for Britain’s new autumn obsession. We’re an obedient bunch, the British. If social media tells us there’s a new drink we ‘absolutely must’ try, we’re queuing around the block to taste it without a second thought. We’ve given matcha a whirl, waited in line for bubble tea, put pistachio in our coffee, poured espresso into tonic and spooned cold foam on top of coconut water. Granted, I’ve written about most of those. And now, yet another viral drink has entered the chat to see us into autumn which could give the ever-popular pumpkin spiced latte a run for it’s money. I give you, horchata. And the best bit? It’s spicy, similar to a pumpkin-spiced drink, but it’s refreshing enough to offer salvation from any heatwaves waiting in the wings. So, we’re covered. Here’s everything you need to know about it… Yet another viral drink is here, and it’s a good one (Picture: Rob Buckhaven) What is a horchata? Horchata (Pronounced, oar-chat-ahh) is a Mexican drink. There is also a Spanish version, specifically from Valencia, using tiger nuts instead of rice. Confusingly, that’s also called Horchata, with each country believing theirs to be the authentic one. To be clear, we’re talking about the Mexican version here. Mainly because it’s rice-based, and rice is easier to get hold of if you have to make it from scratch at home. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. Flavour-wise, horchata is cold, creamy, nutty and sweet. Made from rice, water, cinnamon, condensed milk, vanilla extract and ice. It’s the kind of drink that’s both alien and familiar, making your brain reach for comparisons. Is it a milkshake? Nope. An iced latte without the coffee? Warmer. A pumpkin spiced latte? Warmer still. The closest comparison is the milk left at the bottom of a bowl of Golden Grahams. Remember those? The sweet, cinnamon-flavoured cereal, only even more refreshing. Of course, this shiny ‘new’ drink is not even remotely new. In fact, that would be like saying there’s a new Italian food on the scene, and it’s called ‘pasta’. The accepted etymology of the name ‘horchata’ takes us back to the Latin word ‘hordeum’, meaning barley. That was the original ingredient, which isn’t actually used in either version nowadays. I think I’m hooked (Picture: Rob Buckhaven) The history of Horchata is almost as cloudy as the drink itself. It stems from ancient grain and tiger nut-based drinks through north Africa to Spain, then over to Mexico. It originated in ancient Egypt, and was known by the Romans at ‘hordeata’, but that grain soon changed to tiger nuts. In fact, there’s evidence of a 13th century Valencian drink called ‘llet de xufes’ or tiger nut milk, which is likely the ancestor of the Horchata we’re drinking today. It was brought over to Mexico when the Spanish colonised the country in the 16th century, where they had to use locally-available ingredients like rice instead of tiger nuts, which weren’t a thing over there. And that’s when the Mexican version was born. Will you give it a try? (Picture: Rob Buckhaven) Where can you get Horchata? It’s turning up on café drinks lists around London. Take Aguamiel Churros Mexicanos in Covent Garden, for exmaple. As well as their house horchata, they do Banana Breat HOTchata. This is a hot version made with their home-made banana bread puree. They also serve horchata cold brew, Earl-Grey-infused horchata and a matchata, which is horchata with matcha. Santo Remedio Mexican Café in London Bridge lists a homemade Mexican horchata for £5, plus you can ‘make it dirty’ with coffee for £7. Meanwhile, El Cinote has an alcoholic horchata, called Mexico Lindo, made with Casamigos Reposado Tequila, Licor 43, lime and horchata syrup. Why is it trending in Britain now? Its sudden coolness makes sense when you look at what else is blowing up right now. Coffee has progressively become colder, creamier and customisable. We’ve gone from flat whites to iced lattes, cold brew, flavoured cold foams and drinks involving matcha, ube and pistachio. Horchata slides seamlessly into that world. It’s aesthetically pleasing, plant-based, it pairs well with coffee, and its flavours of cinnamon, vanilla and rice are familiar enough to fit into our drinking rotation without freaking us out too much. My only personal issue with it is, if you were to make it exactly as they do in Mexico, it would be tooth-looseningly sweet. That’s why I’ve considerably paired down the condensed milk in my own recipe. How to make Horchata Serves many: 250g white rice (any type) 3 cinnamon sticks 1 litre warm water 200g condensed milk 200ml fresh milk 3 teaspoons vanilla essence Dusting of ground cinnamon Rinse the rice then place it with the cinnamon sticks in the fridge overnight, preferably covered. The next day, blend the entire mixture in the blender until pulverised. Strain in a sieve multiple times (I did it three times). Whisk in the condensed milk, fresh milk and vanilla. Pour into an ice-filled glass, dust lightly with ground cinnamon and guzzle. I always add in a pinch of pink Himalayan salt to offset the sweetness, which works particularly well in an intrinsically sweet drink like this one. I might try and add some coffee next time… (Picture: Rob Buckhaven) My verdict Heck yeah. I’m a sucker for the sweetened, flavoured milk at the bottom of my bowl of cereal. This is extremely reminiscent of that for me. It’s rich, sweet and filling though, so I could only do a single glass in one sitting. Deals of the Day The viral LED face mask with over 350 lights that's currently discounted by £100 A friend said I looked 'snatched' – I credit this new Charlotte Tilbury powder Shop MySweetSmile's biggest Bank Holiday offers before they end Back-to-school shopping just got a lot cheaper thanks to Primark The back-to-school essential parents forget every year – and it could cost them Next time, I’d experiment by adding espresso. Do you have a story you’d like to share? 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