Cantaritos

Cantaritos are a popular Mexican cocktail recipe made with tequila, citrus fruits, salt, and bubbly grapefruit soda.

What is the end result? A sweet, tangy, and refreshing drink that's dangerously good to cool off with from the summer heat!

Jump to:

• 📖 About
• 🍲 Key ingredients
• 🔪 Instructions
• 🌡️ Storage
• 💭 Pro tips
• 🍴 Tasting notes
• 📋 Recipe
• ♻️ Similar recipes
• 💬 FAQ

📖 About

If you like citrus and tequila, this drink is a match made in heaven. It's extremely thirst-quenching, great for parties, and full of vibrant Mexican flavors.

What is it?

Cantaritos get their name from the really cool-looking clay cup they're usually served in — not unlike what Moscow Mules did with copper mugs.

You'll find places all over Mexico serving cantaritos de tequila, whether in a restaurant or at a street stall.

This refreshing drink is so tasty, you'll be surprised to know most cups contain 2-3 ounces of tequila (which can reeeeally sneak up on you).

Cantaritos also contain a healthy amount of citrus fruits that provide the fresh, characteristic flavors of this cocktail.

For a truly mind-blowing cantaritos recipe, you'll need to use the juice of four different citrus fruits — grapefruit, orange, lime, and lemon.

The combination of these fruits with a pinch of sea salt, tequila blanco, and grapefruit soda makes for a drink you're guaranteed to love.

Seriously, the first time we tried a cantaritos drink, we instantly knew it was our favorite cocktail!

History

Cantaritos are known to have originated in the state of Jalisco, which is no surprise as this is the birthplace of tequila.

In fact, Tequila is actually a little town located just south of Guadalajara. It was here that the first large-scale tequila distillery was built (all the way back in the 1600s!).

If you're ever in the area, make sure you check out Cantaritos el Güero! They are a roadside bar that specializes in this delicious drink.

If you're able to get through the "extragrande" cantaritos cup (more like bucket), a massive kudos to you!

Serving

To ensure your drink stays nice and cool, store your clay cups in the freezer or cold water a little while before you make this recipe. The clay will remain ice-cold so your drink doesn't melt!

Cantaritos are delicious with or without a rim, so we've left it optional. A simple lime and salt rim always hits the spot. And if you are feeling a little loco, try a chamoy and Tajin rim!

You can serve this drink on its own, but we think cantaritos go extremely well with antojitos like sopes, elotes, quesadillas, empanadas, or tamales!

🍲 Key ingredients

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

Tequila

Taste: it wouldn't be a Mexican cocktail without the country's most famous spirit, tequila. Made from distilling fermented juices of the Weber blue agave plant, tequila adds an earthy, semi-sweet flavor (thanks to the agave).

Type: there are three main types of tequila — blanco, reposado, and añejo. Blanco (or clear) tequila is perfect for this recipe since it has a clean, unaged taste. Look for bottles that are labeled "100% blue agave" as they will have the best flavors. But cantaritos are so good, you can use whichever type you have!

Citrus

Taste: the essence of cantaritos comes from the mix of citrus fruits like lime, lemon, grapefruit, and orange. With this combo, you'll taste tangy, sweet, bitter, and sour flavors that perfectly balance out the tequila.

Health: citrus fruits reign supreme when it comes to vitamin C content. In just one cantaritos drink, you'll far surpass 100% of your daily vitamin C needs! And if you didn't know, vitamin C is responsible for healthy skin and a strong immune system.

Grapefruit soda

Taste: to add carbonation, sweetness, and a boost of citrus flavor, grapefruit soda is an absolute must-have! The most common brands are Squirt, Jarritos, or Fresca. If you're in Mexico, you'll almost always see them made with Squirt.

Health: by no means will we convince you that drinking soda and alcohol is healthy, but if you're looking to lessen the overall sugar or calorie content of this drink, you can try Squirt Zero or grapefruit Zevia for a more natural choice.

Salt

Taste: in order to balance the flavors and enhance the taste of tequila, salt is necessary when building a cantaritos cup. It's best to add a pinch right into the mix and sprinkle more on top.

Health: salt is often portrayed as an ingredient to stay away from. The reality is, people who have underlying heart or medical conditions should consult their doctor about salt limitations. But for the vast majority of the population, salt is essential for bodily functions like muscle contractions.

🔪 Instructions

If you have questions about this cantaritos recipe, don't forget to check out our FAQ section at the bottom of this post.

Step 1: if you’re using a clay cup, place it in your freezer or submerge it in ice-cold water while you prep the rest of the ingredients. While not completely necessary, this will help keep your drinks colder for longer!

Step 2: squeeze the orange, lemon, lime, and grapefruit into a cocktail shaker or just straight into the cantaritos cup. Mix in the tequila and a pinch of salt as well.

Step 3: fill your cup about halfway up with ice and pour the citrus mixture over top. Fill the rest of the cup with grapefruit soda* (see recipe notes for some of our favorite types).

Step 4: serve with a pinch more salt on top and a wedge of lemon, lime, or grapefruit. You can also serve this drink with a lime and salt rim, or a chamoy and Tajin rim. Happy drinking!

🌡️ Storage

Cantaritos always go over well at a gathering or party. Here are a few ways to speed up preparation and keep your drinks tasting great for longer.

Prep ahead

If you're making a big batch, press all the citrus fruits beforehand and store them in the fridge. When you're ready to serve the cantaritos, you'll just have to add ice, salt, tequila, and soda.

💭 Pro tips

Time to share our tips and tricks we learned while creating this cantaritos recipe for you:

• Keep your glasses cold. If you're using a jarrito (clay cup) or other glasses, place them in the freezer for a bit so your drinks stay cool.
• Quadruple the recipe. If you're making this for a party, quadruple (or more) this recipe and serve it out of a big bowl like punch.
• Make it virgin. If alcohol isn't your thing, you can definitely make this drink virgin. Just leave out the tequila!
• Make your own soda. Don't have grapefuit soda on hand? Make your own with simple syrup, grapefruit juice, and soda water.
• Don't skip the salt. This one might surprise you, but salt makes the drink taste 10x better. Don't believe us? Compare it before and after adding the salt.
• Choose your rim. There are a few optional rim styles to choose from. Lime and salt or chamoy and Tajin. Personally, we're fans of nothing at all, but try each one and let us know your favorite!

🍴 Tasting notes

We are absolutely obsessed with this cantaritos recipe! You're going to want to memorize it, especially for summer. It's:

• Refreshing
• Tangy
• Smooth
• Dangerously good

If you try this cantaritos drink, please rate it and leave us a comment below! Want to stay up-to-date with new recipes? Subscribe to our newsletter or connect with Broke Bank Vegan on social media. Happy eating!

📋 Recipe

♻️ Similar recipes

For more tasty Mexican drinks check out our:

• Mangonada for a golden-yellow frozen Mexican drink that is guaranteed to quench your thirst.
• Agua de piña for a juicy, fresh, and sweet pineapple drink that is perfect for summer barbecues.
• Agua de sandia to try a light, refreshing, and delicious way to enjoy watermelon.
• Agua de tamarindo for a tart, sweet, and refreshing agua fresca made from tamarind pods.

💬 FAQ