How to have the perfect DIY Mexican night at home with Jarritos

Staying home isn't going anywhere anytime soon so lets make the absolute most of it, amigos. Sure, you could continue to make different versions of white bread this month or you could figuratively and literally spice it up with some Mexican food and drink. To celebrate the launch of Jarritos Mexican soda being made readily available in Australia, chef Rosa Cienfuegos is showing our beloved Time Out readers how to nail handmade tortillas and chicken fajitas at home. We've also been gifted a fancy cocktail recipe you can make using one of Jarritos' delicious sodas. So put that plain flour back in the pantry and pull out the colourful crepe paper, it's time to DIY Cinco de Mayo (it's May 5 today but you can do this literally anytime).

Jarritos have been in the soda game since the 1950s in Mexico and are now clinking onto shelves all over the world. They're made like a traditional aguas frescas – fresh fruit and cane sugar distilled with carbonated water to make a refreshing and juicy beverage. If you've had the pleasure of popping the lid off a Jarritos you'll know they're pretty bang on with their fruit flavours with mandarin, guava, lime, pineapple, grapefruit, tamarind, mango and watermelon all splashing your taste buds with authenticity. You might have spotted them at discerning Mexican restaurants around Sydney, and now Jarritos will be populating even more IRL and online stores.

You'll recognise Cienfuegos from our glowing review of her Dulwich Hill Tamaleria and Mexican Deli. We loved her housemade salsas and tamales so much, in fact, that we awarded the deli Best Cheap Eat last year at our annual Time Out Food Awards. She's teamed up with Jarritos to show us how to make some tasty Mexican dishes at home. Here's what you'll need:

Fajitas
1/2 chicken breast fillet
10 grams achiote paste/annatto powder 
1/2 cup of bitter orange juice
1 red capsicum
2 green capsicums
2 small onions
1 teaspoon of salt (to taste)

Tortillas
1 cup corn flour
2 cups of plain flour
3 cups of water

Utensils
A tortilla press or a rolling pin

Cienfuegos also recommends whipping up some Mexican sides to make a full Cinco de Mayo feast at home. Load up a table with guacamole, salsa verde, salsa roja and go all out with beef fajitas too. Recipes for the full suite of Mexican treats will be available in Cienfuegos' highly-anticipated cook book to be released this year. Naturally, this home feast is designed to be washed down with a few Jarritos for good measure.

To kick your Mexican party into full swing, why not try whipping up a traditional Paloma cocktail while you're at it. Jarritos leant us their house recipe, here's what you'll need:

Paloma