Directions
Cantarito is an incredible Mexican cocktail, a refreshing drink full of taste thanks to the symphony of aromas and flavors that arise from the union of tequila, lime juice, grapefruit juice, orange juice, salt and grapefruit soda. In practice, it is a citrus juice embellished with salt and tequila, but it should not surprise us, since citrus, salt and tequila have always been the way to drink tequila for Mexicans.
However, the Cantarito cocktail has a peculiarity: it is served in the typical Mexican earthenware jars, the famous jarritos, the ones that are also used for the Canchánchara. In terms of taste, they have nothing in common, it was just to point out that they are ancient drinks, ways of drinking of a whole people, not so much a bartender cocktail. It’s like Ti Punch, Falernum, Planter’s punch, rum swizzle: culture and tradition, not fashions. You will find street vendors on every street corner, so if you are traveling to Mexico, don’t hesitate and give it a try. Street vendors prepare them on the spot, with the freshest ingredients and it’s worth a try, as the flavor of Mexican limes and citrus is delicious.
Another point to clarify is that there is no original Mexican Cantarito recipe: everyone does it as they prefer, alters the doses, adds agave syrup to sweeten the cocktail or not. It is at personal discretion, so we will provide you with a basic recipe, but feel free to customize it however you like. Even a simple addition of raspberry syrup or creme de cassis turns the drink upside down, making it darker, but no less interesting. The salt or chili rims are optional, but add depth and contrasting flavors that enhance the balsamic tones of the tequila.
History of the Cantarito cocktail
There is not much news about it, certainly, you will not find a legendary Mexican barman in the dawn of history to claim his authorship. It is not a twist of Paloma it is perhaps the opposite, since Cantarito is a popular drink, drunk at any time of day and throughout the Mexican, even if its cradle is the state of Jalisco, where it is practically an institution.
Ingredients and doses to make the Cantarito cocktail
- 6 cl of tequila
- 4 cl of orange juice
- 2 cl of pink grapefruit juice
- 2 cl of lime juice
- the tip of a teaspoon of salt
- 8 cl of grapefruit soda
- 1.5 cl of agave syrup, optional
How to make the Cantarito cocktail
We assume that to make a good cocktail you use fresh fruit, never use industrial products full of sugar. Squeeze the citrus fruits and filter the juices.
If you don’t have a crockpot, don’t worry, even a very banal collins glass is fine. Before leaving, wet the earthenware pot externally. Fill the jarrito with ice, put a few lime wedges between the cubes, pour all the ingredients, apart from the soda, and mix. Add the pink grapefruit soda at the end.
Cantarito twist
It must remain a dry, spartan and sharp cocktail, but you can add the edge of salt or chili. You can add a couple of drops of angostura to perfume, you can use a very smoky mezcal. Many Mexicans to make the drink more full-bodied prefer to put a beer instead of soda.
Other great aperitif cocktails that deserve your attention
Negroni, Mojito, Moscow Mule, Gin Tonic, Margarita, Daiquiri, Cocktail Martini, Spritz, Hugo, Americano, Old Fashioned, Cosmopolitan, Boulevardier.
Food pairings
Paella, carbonara, puttanesca, amatriciana, chicken curry, spicy chicken wings, fish tacos, sweet and sour pork, Cantonese rice
