Cantaritos are a citrusy Mexican tequila cocktail served in a clay cup with grapefruit soda and a squeeze of fresh juice! Here’s how to make this refreshing cousin drink to the Paloma at home.
If you love a good margarita or Paloma, I have another Mexican tequila cocktail you’ll adore: the Cantarito! This tasty tequila drink is similar to a Paloma, but with more citrus juices like orange, lemon and lime juice. When you layer it in a traditional Cantaritos clay cup, this drink tastes tangy, citrusy and even more refreshing sipped out of a cold clay rim.
Of course, you can serve it in a highball glass too. As someone who’s made over 300 cocktail recipes, this is one of my favorite tequila drinks because it’s so zingy and unique. I think this drink is a must-try for tequila lovers!
What Is a Cantarito?
The Cantarito (Cantaritos is the plural) is a tequila-based Mexican drink made with orange, lemon, and lime juice and grapefruit soda. It’s traditionally served in a clay cups at restaurants, bars and markets throughout Mexico. It’s similar to a Paloma, with a few added ingredients. The ingredients you’ll need to make Cantaritos are:
- Tequila: blanco or reposado, both work (more on that below)
- Fresh orange juice: Squeeze it fresh if you can, but bottled juice also works
- Fresh lemon juice and lime juice: Always use fresh lemons and limes for the best flavor
- Grapefruit soda: Some brands you can try are Squirt, Jarritos Grapefruit Soda, Ting, Sprindrift, Q Mixers, Fevertree, or Sparkling Italian Grapefruit Soda (many stores have brands like Whole Foods, Simple Truth, etc).
Cantarito vs Paloma vs Margarita
Here’s my simple breakdown of the differences between these drinks:
- A Paloma is just tequila, grapefruit soda, and lime juice, usually served with a salt rim.
- A Cantarito uses the same base ingredients but adds fresh orange and lemon juice, which gives it a more nuanced, citrusy flavor. It tastes more complex than a Paloma.
- A Margarita is tequila, lime juice, and either triple sec or Cointreau. It’s shaken with ice and usually served up or on the rocks with a salted rim.
All About Clay Cantarito Cups
Cantarito cups are the traditional clay cups (jarritos de barro) used for drinking tequila in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. They’re great for drinking straight tequila or other Mexican drinks like Cantaritos or Micheladas. Why drink out of traditional Cantarito cups?
- The traditional clay cups keep Cantaritos cold. A traditional glass becomes warm in your hands, but the clay Cantarito cups help to keep the drink extra cold.
- The mouthfeel of the clay cups adds to the experience. The sensation of the chilled clay at the beginning of each sip is much like drinking a Moscow Mule out of a chilled copper mug. It just tastes better!
- Where to find Cantarito cups? Buy them from artisans online. We bought our Cantarito cups on Etsy.
- Do you have to soak Cantaritos cups? Soak the clay Cantaritos cups in cold water for 10 minutes before making the drink, which makes for an optimally chilled drink.
Best Tequila For Cantaritos
You can make Cantaritos with any type of tequila you have on hand. Just like with a margarita, the flavor changes based on whether you use blanco or resposado tequila. Here’s how the flavor of the drink changes:
- Tequila blanco: Tequila blanco has not been aged. The flavor is agave forward, with notes of pepper and citrus with a spicy finish. Try Espolon Blanco, El Tesoro Blanco or Patrón Silver.
- Tequila reposado: is aged 2 to 12 months in oak barrels (reposado means “rested” in Spanish). It has a smooth flavor and notes of oak, vanilla, and caramel. Try Milagro Reposado or Suerte Reposado.
How to Make Cantaritos
Once you’ve tracked down your Cantaritos cups, tequila and grapefruit soda, this drink is a breeze to make! Here’s what to do:
- Soak the Cantaritos cups for 10 minutes. This helps to chill the drink. Or, use a highball glass!
- Add tequila, orange, lime and lemon juice to the cup. Add a pinch of salt to bring out the flavors. (Go to the recipe for quantities.)
- Top off with grapefruit soda. Add some citrus wedges as a garnish.
Serving Suggestions
A Cantarito is great for summer, but it really works anytime you’re dreaming of sun, too! Here are a few ways I like to serve it:
- Add a spread of 20 Tasty Mexican Appetizers for a summer party
- Serve with simple guacamole and chips for a carefree summer day
- Add my shrimp tacos, fish tacos or black bean tacos
Make Ahead Tip (Pitcher Variation)
To make a large batch for parties (8 servings), in a pitcher stir together 2 cups tequila, 1 cup orange juice, ½ cup lemon juice, ½ cup lime juice, and 8 pinches salt and refrigerate.
When serving, pour 4 ounces into a glass and top with 4 ounces grapefruit soda.
Cantaritos
Pin RecipeCantaritos are a citrusy Mexican tequila cocktail served in a clay cup with grapefruit soda and a squeeze of fresh juice! Here’s how to make this refreshing cousin drink to the Paloma at home.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Stirred
- Cuisine: Cocktails
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 ounces* tequila (blanco or reposado)
- 1 ounce fresh orange juice
- ½ ounce fresh lemon juice
- ½ ounce lime juice
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 ounces grapefruit soda
Instructions
- If using the traditional clay cup for serving, soak it in cold water for 10 minutes before using. Otherwise, use a highball glass.
- Combine the tequila, orange juice, lemon juice and lime juice in the glass with a pinch of salt.
- Fill the glass with ice and top with grapefruit soda. Garnish with citrus wedges.
Notes
Make ahead tip: To make a large batch for parties (8 servings), in a pitcher stir together 2 cups tequila, 1 cup orange juice, ½ cup lemon juice, ½ cup lime juice, and 8 pinches salt and refrigerate. When serving, pour 4 ounces into a glass and top with 4 ounces grapefruit soda.
More Mexican Cocktails To Try
Here are a few more Mexican cocktails to try:
- Try the classics: a Classic Margarita or Paloma
- Opt for a Michelada, like a beer-based Bloody Mary
- Try the refreshing Chelada
- Grab a Carajillo (Mexican Spiked Coffee)
from A Couple Cooks https://ift.tt/Ekxm1f6
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