The Cantarito Is National Tequila Day's Best-Kept Secret: How to Make Jalisco's Triple-Citrus Cooler (and the 8 Blanco Tequilas for It) — July 24, 2026
National Tequila Day is here — today, Friday, July 24, 2026. If the Paloma is the drink everyone already knows and the margarita is the one every bar pours, the Cantarito is the one the people of Jalisco actually make when the sun is high and the day is long. It is tequila's answer to summer in a single, salt-rimmed clay cup, and it deserves a spot on your table today.
Think of it as a Paloma that went home to Guadalajara and came back with two more kinds of citrus. Fresh lime, fresh grapefruit, and fresh orange, a good measure of blanco tequila, a pinch of salt, and a splash of grapefruit soda over ice — bright, bracing, and endlessly drinkable. Here is exactly how to build one, plus the eight blanco tequilas (from a \$28 everyday bottle to a \$100 splurge) that make it sing.
The 8 blanco tequilas in this guide
What a Cantarito actually is
The word cantarito means “little clay pot,” and it refers both to the drink and to the unglazed clay cup — the jarrito de barro — it is traditionally served in. That cup is not just for show: the porous clay keeps the drink icy cold and lends a faint, mineral, earthy note that rounds off the citrus. No clay cup at home? A tall glass works perfectly well; you will just miss a little of the romance.
At its heart the Cantarito is a tequila-and-citrus cooler built on three fresh juices instead of one. Where a Paloma leans entirely on grapefruit, the Cantarito layers grapefruit, orange, and lime so no single note dominates — it is more complex, a touch sweeter, and, many would argue, more refreshing on a scorching afternoon. It is the drink that makes people who think they do not like tequila change their minds.
How to make a perfect Cantarito
Rim a clay cup (or a tall glass) with a lime wedge and dip it in coarse salt or Tajín. Fill with ice. Add 2 ounces blanco tequila, the juice of one lime, 2 ounces fresh grapefruit juice, and 2 ounces fresh orange juice, plus a small pinch of salt. Stir to combine, then top with a splash of grapefruit soda — Squirt, Jarritos, or Fresca are the traditional calls. Garnish generously with wheels of lime, orange, and grapefruit.
Two things separate a great one from a forgettable one. Squeeze the citrus fresh. This is a juice-forward drink, so bottled juice tastes flat and dull where fresh juice tastes alive — it is worth the two minutes. And do not skip the salt. Both on the rim and a pinch in the drink, salt is what pulls the sweet-tart citrus into balance and keeps the whole thing from tasting like breakfast. Because the tequila carries the flavor, the bottle you pour matters — which brings us to the lineup.
The 8 blanco tequilas, from everyday to splurge
The everyday mixers. A Cantarito by the pitcher does not require a fortune. El Jimador Tequila Blanco ($27.99) is a longtime bartender value pick — 100% agave, clean and citrus-friendly, built to pour freely. 818 Blanco Tequila ($27.99) brings a softer, slightly sweeter agave profile that plays beautifully against grapefruit, and Lunazul Blanco ($32.99) rounds out the budget tier with crisp, peppery highland agave that punches well above its price.
The crowd-pleasing middle. Teremana Tequila Blanco ($39.09) is the smooth, roasted-agave people-pleaser that makes a rounded, approachable Cantarito, while Casamigos Blanco Tequila ($49.99) adds a soft, vanilla-tinged smoothness that even tequila skeptics tend to love.
The premium pours. Step up and the agave gets more expressive. Don Julio Blanco Tequila ($57.09) is the polished, citrus-and-pepper benchmark that gives the drink real backbone. LALO Tequila Blanco ($59.99) is the purist's choice — made from just agave, yeast, and water with nothing added, so the fresh citrus has a clean, bright canvas to shine against. And for the splurge, Fortaleza Blanco Tequila ($99.99) is the cult tahona-crushed blanco whose rich, olive-and-cooked-agave depth turns a humble citrus cooler into something genuinely memorable. Every bottle here lives in our Blanco Tequila collection, and the full agave range is in the Tequila & Mezcal collection.
Cantarito, Paloma, or Ranch Water?
All three are blanco-and-citrus summer coolers, and picking between them is really a question of mood. The Paloma is the simplest — grapefruit soda, lime, done — and the easiest to batch. The Ranch Water is the driest and most minimal, just tequila, lime, and Topo Chico. The Cantarito sits in the middle: fruitier and more festive than either, and the one to reach for when you want the drink to feel like an occasion. Want the classic instead? Our classic margarita guide covers the three-ingredient benchmark, and if you would rather sip than mix, the sipping-tequila guide walks through the añejos and cristalinos worth pouring neat.
Make one today
It is National Tequila Day, the weather is right, and the Cantarito takes five minutes to build. Grab a blanco, squeeze some citrus, salt the rim, and celebrate the way Jalisco does. Feeding a crowd? Our guide to batching tequila cocktails scales it to a pitcher so you can host instead of bartend. Not sure which bottle to start with? The Best Sellers collection shows exactly what is moving fastest this week, and our tequila-by-budget guide lays out nine bottles from \$28 to splurge.
Three fresh juices, a good blanco, a little salt, and a splash of soda over ice. That is the whole trick — and it might just be the best tequila drink you make all summer. Shop blanco tequila for National Tequila Day →
