Margaritas & More: The 7 Best RTD Tequila Cocktails for Cinco de Mayo & Everyday
Cinco de Mayo is all about tequila and the beverage aisle is flooded with options to quench your thirst for Mexican-style beverages from ranch water, cheladas, “clean spiked tequila seltzers” (this version is particularly delicious), and craft tequila seltzers in novel flavors.
With the cocktails/RTD’s and tequila/mezcal categories taking the top two slots in the DISCUS fastest-growing spirits category in 2021, the combination of both is a clear winner. Here’s an assortment of RTD margaritas and other canned tequila cocktails to make any celebrations refreshing and easy.
Big Star
When it’s time for margaritas and tacos in Chicago, Big Star is a favorite, featuring top-notch cocktails and food, honky tonk vibes, and an incredible scene-y patio. When they launched their canned margarita in Summer 2020 with a formulation by the brilliant mixologists from Apologue Liqueurs, it brought that super cool time home. Like the restaurant version, these cocktails come strong–at 12% ABV, a 12 ounce can make two boozy servings. Pro tip–pour a can into a sealable plastic bag and freeze until slushy to make a blendable base for a perfect frozen fruit margarita–BYO watermelon or mango!
Crook & Marker Margarita
The latest entry in the Crook & Marker line of 100 calorie/zero sugar canned cocktails is a Strawberry Hibiscus margarita made from organic tequila. Technically a hard seltzer, the fruity flavor from fresh fruit, and natural deep pink color make these sessionable cans loads of fun to drink. They also make a Paloma, Pina Colada and Mojito.
Tip Top Margaritas
Tip Top tasty, tiny cans bring a bright, citrus-y cocktail that fits in a pocket. Says co-founder Neal Cohen, “No one needs another mediocre, watered-down margarita in a can. Our recipe is true to form with no filler - 1.5 oz tequila, 3/4 oz lime juice, 3/4 oz orange liqueur. These classic cocktails are in uniquely small 100ml cans because that’s truly the appropriate portion to pour over ice and have a traditional margarita.”
Cutwater Cold Spirits Tequila Canned Cocktails
Cutwater’s NY International Spirits Competition award-winning peach margarita gets called out frequently for its juicy, fruit-forward taste and notes of agave. The rest of the colorful lineup offers something for everyone, including ranch waters in watermelon, lime, and prickly pear flavors. Be sure to hide their frozen margarita pops in the adult section of the freezer this summer. Other flavors include Lime, Pineapple, Mango and Strawberry as well as Tequila Soda and Tequila Paloma.
Crafthouse Paloma
Chicago’s Crafthouse Paloma is the perfect antidote to margarita monotony. The traditional addition of grapefruit soda brings a refreshing bitter fizziness to the mix–we love it on the rocks with a salted rim and an extra wedge of fresh lime.
Tequila Cazadores Spicy Margarita
The Cazadores Spicy Margarita made in Mexico, is an appealing player in the ready-to-drink canned margarita game. Their straightforward blanco tequila is distilled from 100% blue weber agave and the heat comes from jalapeño chile juice, just like you might add at home. Cazadores also makes an RTD margarita and a paloma.
SouthNorte Matador
Ryan Brooks, brewmaster at San Diego’s SouthNorte, got the inspiration for his new line of canned cocktails while sitting at the bar at La Justina in Tijuana, Mexico. “They make a lot of traditional Mexican cocktails,” says Brooks. “They used the best ingredients…that’s what I wanted to emulate. How can we take stuff that I tried at this really cool bar in Tijuana and put it in a can?” The result? SouthNorte’s collection of 12-ounce 7% ABV cans includes a Paloma, a Mexican mule, and a unique pineapple and lime-based matador, all made with real fruit juice and fine tequila. “We wanted to follow the route that we did with [our Mexican-inspired] beer. There are tons of seltzer-based and cheap-liquored-based cocktails…we thought that we could do a much better job by using higher-end ingredients and better quality tequila.”