Homemade Horchata

A traditional, cinnamony, rice based drink from Mexico...be sure to use organic long grain or jasmine rice.  Parboiled brown rice won't work. I promise.  

Homemade Horchata

2 cups long grain Rice

1/3 cup Agave Nectar

1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

3 Cinnamon Sticks

1 tsp. ground Cinnamon

4 cups Water

Soak rice, vanilla, and cinnamon sticks in two cups hot water for 4 hours, or overnight.

Remove cinnamon sticks, and pour soaked rice contents into a blender, with your additional 2 cups water.  

Add agave nectar and ground cinnamon, and blend on high until a smooth texture is achieved.  This may take up to 2 minutes.  

Use a fine mesh strainer placed over a pitcher and pour contents of the blender slowly thru the strainer.   It should collect all the fine pieces of rice and let the horchata pour thru. Throw away rice granules collected by the strainer.  Repeat this process 2 more times to remove as much of the rice granules as you can.  

Horchata should be just a little gritty and frothy.  Serve over ice.  Will last up to 3 days if refrigerated.