I recently moved to D.C., which is practically unbearable in summer owing to the heat and humidity — but I do have a pool. It’s situated on a rooftop with zero shade, so when I bring my oversize Stanley-esque drinking cup to it, the metal straw heats up in the sun, creating a truly unpleasant hydration experience. My solution? The botijo. It’s an evaporative cooler, similar to the Middle Eastern briq, and a traditional drinking jug that can be shared among several people while staying hygienic because its spout doesn’t touch anyone’s lips and no cups are needed. You pour water into your mouth at a 45-degree angle from about four inches away. It’s the most fun way to drink water, I guarantee you.
To cool down its contents, the botijo relies on a bit of physics. The jug is made of unglazed clay, which is porous. As the water inside evaporates through the material, heat goes with it in the process, and the remaining water drops in temperature. On a recent 95-degree day, I filled my rooster botijo with cool water (68.3 degrees) from the tap and brought it to the pool along with my probe thermometer. I placed the botijo in full sun (well, everything on this rooftop is in full sun), swam my laps, and returned to it 40 minutes later. The water I poured into my mouth from the botijo was still at about 68 degrees. On a different day, with the temperature in the triple digits, the water in my botijo remained around 70 degrees. The jug consistently keeps my water 20 to 30 degrees cooler than the outside temperature.
I am now the proud owner of two botijos, both from Siesta Co., my favorite tinned-fish brand; I order its marinated mussels in escabeche in bulk and by subscription. Siesta Co. works with Spanish artisans to produce its botijos from local white clay, which is blended with salt and fashioned into fish and rooster shapes.
To prepare a botijo for the first time, Siesta Co. recommends rinsing the inside and outside, filling it with water, and then emptying it the next day. Your botijo is then ready to use. Dry, it weighs just under two and a half pounds — roughly the same as a Stanley Tumbler. To clean your botijo, use a gentle scourer but no soap.
I’ve gotten pretty good at holding the jug handle and lifting the spout about four inches above my mouth to pour the water in, but even when my aim isn’t good, I don’t mind my face being splashed with cool water. (I find it especially enjoyable to pretend to pour water into my husband’s mouth but aim for his forehead.) And when I’m not using it for drinking water, the botijo looks nice enough to sit out on the counter or a shelf to serve as décor or a vase. Try doing that with a Stanley.
[Editor’s note: The botijo pez is currently unavailable but will be restocked soon.]
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