The Best Tequila-Based Seltzers & Canned Cocktails
by Brian Donnelly
July 4, 2022
This summer, trade your beer-based seltzers for these popular tequila-based seltzers, perfect for the pool, lake, or beach. Most consumers do not realize that most popular seltzers or ready-to-drink (RTD) canned cocktails are either beer or wine based. The RTD category has exploded over the last two years, and every company is trying to gain a share of the opportunity. I would encourage drinkers to transition from beer-based seltzers such as White Claw and Truly to spirit-based seltzers and canned cocktails. I love drinking tequila during the summer, and my go-to cocktails are usually a rotation of Tequila & Soda, Ranch Water, or Paloma. I've included some popular ready-to-drink options below that fit this style of drink, and I omitted any vodka-based RTDs, such as High Noon or any RTD margaritas. In the future, I'll write a separate article about some of the best RTD margaritas on the market.
Cantina Tequila Soda
Cantina Tequila Soda is the newer tequila-based option from the Austin-based canned cocktail brand Canteen Spirits. The brand comes in a 12 oz (355 ml) beer can, an in keeping with the strategy that we see with other brands, Cantina has a Ranch Water, Grapefruit Paloma, and Watermelon Margarita. The company’s website describes the Ranch Water as, “an ode to a Texas classic delivers Blanco tequila paired with flavors of fresh squeeze lime and a touch of sea salt.” The Ranch Water has 99 calories, 1 carb, 0 sugar, is canned at 5.6 % ABV, and thanks to it’s tequila base spirit is gluten free. Their website describes the Grapefruit Paloma as, “a true match made in heaven, it's essence of fresh ruby red grapefruit is beautifully balanced with blanco tequila with Natural Grapefruit & Orange Flavor.” The Grapefruit Paloma has 99 calories, 1 carb, 0 sugar, is canned at 5.6 % ABV, and is also gluten free. Finally, they describe the Watermelon Margarita as, “a classic margarita uniquely paired with the taste of fresh watermelon, perfectly balanced using blanco tequila, agave nectar and natural watermelon, lime and orange flavors.” The Watermelon Margarita has 99 calories, 2 carb, 0 sugar, is canned at 5.6 % ABV, and is also gluten free. Check out the brand’s Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Capriccio Spirits Co.
The Capriccio brand is perhaps best known for its different Sangrias. The brand produced by Florida Caribbean Distillers has launched Capriccio Spirits Co., which currently offers three spirit-based canned ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails: Vodka Soda & Lime, Ranch Water, and Paloma.
The Capriccio Spirits Ranch Water is made with Reposado Tequila, lime juice, and sparkling water. The Capriccio Spirits Ranch Water Paloma, as they call it, is made with Reposado Tequila, real grapefruit juice, and sparkling water. The brand is available in either a 355 ml (12 oz) slim can or a 750 ml bottle which, of course, adopts the standard Southwestern style of cowboys and cactuses. Each can is 5 % ABV, 100 calories, and is gluten-free. Visit the brand’s website, here.
Photo from Florida Caribbean Distillers
Cutwater Tequila Canned Cocktails
Cutwater Spirits is a San Diego-based company, founded in 2016 by former Ballast Point beer executives, that partnered with Anheuser-Busch in 2019 as part of their “Beyond Beer” portfolio. The brand has a full lineup of tequila-based canned cocktails, including a Ranch Water, Grapefruit Paloma, Tequila Soda, and several flavored margaritas (lime, pineapple, peach, mango, strawberry). Check out their Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube channel.
Tequila & Soda by Dulce Vida
The Dulce Vida Tequila (NOM 1443) brand expanded its line-up of ready-to-drink (RTD) tequila canned cocktails by recently launching Tequila & Soda. This brand is made with tequila, real fruit and vegetable juice (not sure why there is vegetable juice), and sparkling soda. The 200 ml short cans feature three flavors: Lime, Pineapple, and Grapefruit. Each can is 7 % ABV and contains 65 calories, 1.8 carbs, and no additional sugar or artificial flavors. The new Tequila & Soda brand will join Dulce Vida's other canned cocktails, including a Margarita, Watermelon Margarita, and Paloma. Visit the brand’s Website and Instagram.
Hornitos Ranch Water & Tequila Hard Seltzer
Founded in 1950, Hornitos Tequila is a popular entry-level 100 % agave brand from international spirits giant Beam-Suntory. Their new canned cocktail features a true Ranch Water, and a tequila-based seltzer style product featuring four flavors: lime, mango, pineapple, and passionfruit. All four products are made with Hornitos Plata Tequila (NOM 1102) from the Sauza Distillery in Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico. Hornitos Plata Tequila is double distilled in both columns and pot stills, double filtered with charcoal and using a blast chiller process, and unaged in oak. The Ranch Water is packaged in a 12 oz (355 ml) beer can at 6.5 % ABV, 131 calories, 0 carbs, 0 sugar, and gluten free. The Tequila Selters are packaged in the 12 oz (355 ml) slim can at 5 % ABV, 112 calories, with no artificial sweeteners or additives.
Jose Cuervo Playamar Tequila Hard Seltzer
Jose Cuervo is the number one selling tequila brand in the United States. Playamar is their new tequila-based seltzer, named for a compound of the Spanish words for beach, Playa, and sea, mar . Inspired by the beaches of Mexico, the brand features four flavors: Lime, Grapefruit, Black Cherry, and Mango. This product is packaged in a 12 oz (355 ml) slim can and is made with Jose Cuervo Tequila, 4.5 % ABV, and 90 calories. This brand contains zero carbs, zero sugar, no artificial sweeteners, and is gluten-free. Visit the company website, here.
Onda Sparkling Tequila
Onda Sparkling Tequila is a tequila-based seltzer created by Canadian actress and model Shay Mitchell and fellow co-founders Max Dworin, Noah Gray, and Kelli Adams. The brand Onda, which means "wave" in Spanish, drew its inspiration from the founders' obsession with drinking tequila soda and the surf style and culture of the 1990s. The 12 oz (355 ml) slim cans and the brand marketing unmistakably reflect the bright colors and flash of the 90s aesthetic. Focusing on using high-integrity ingredients, Onda was designed to elevate the seltzer category and give customers a product they want to drink. This brand uses all-natural ingredients, including real juice and silver tequila sourced from the female-owned distillery of Casa Maestri (NOM 1438) in Jalisco, Mexico. Each can is 5 % ABV, 100 calories, 1g of carbs or less, gluten-free, and contains zero sugar.
Classic Collection Variety Pack
Lime
Grapefruit
Blood Orange
Watermelon
Paradise Collection Variety Pack
Mango
Passion Fruit
Pineapple
Strawberry
Ranch Rider Spirits Co.
Ranch Rider Spirits represents the rugged vibe of the Southwest in much the same way that Onda Sparkling Tequila captures the look and feel of '90s surf culture in places like Southern California. This Austin-based ready-to-drink (RTD) brand has a line-up of Texas cocktail classics, such as the Ranch Water, Tequila Paloma, and The Chilton. Ranch Rider continues to gain popularity and grow. Recently they have added three new products to the portfolio: Jalapeño Ranch Water, Margarita, and Mule (The Buck). For this article, I am only going to focus on two of their tequila-based products: Ranch Water and Paloma.
Ranch Rider Spirits began as a food truck called Ranch Hand, run by two University of Texas students, Quentin and Brian. They founded the business to deliver healthier meals to their classmates. Their mission statement was perfectly encapsulated by the giant message on their truck's side stating, "Stop Eating Shit for Lunch." The transition from food to cocktails came when the duo could not find a shift drink that wasn't loaded with sugar or artificial sweeteners. They bought a carbonation tank and mixed cocktails for their customers using premium distilled spirits with sparkling water and freshly squeezed fruit. When enough customers asked, "Where can we buy this? The Ranch Rider Spirits Co. cocktail line was born.
A Ranch Water drink is a Texas classic and arguably one of the most uncomplicated and refreshing cocktails. Made famous by ranchers in West Texas, the drink is simply tequila (traditionally reposado), fresh lime juice, and sparkling water (traditionally Topo Chico). The Ranch Rider Spirits Co. Ranch Water holds to the original recipe. This product contains just Reposado Tequila, sparkling water, and real, not-from-concentrate lime juice, packaged at 6 % ABV, 119 calories, 0.5 g of sugar, and 1.5 carbs.
The Paloma is the most popular cocktail in Mexico. Like Ranch Water, the Paloma recipe is simple: Tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and sparkling water. Many prefer to make their Palomas with the citrus soda Squirt or Jarritos Grapefruit. I personally like to make my Palomas with Q Drinks Grapefruit. The Ranch Rider Spirits Co. Tequila Paloma contains just reposado tequila, sparkling water, real grapefruit, and real lime juice. This product is packaged at 6 % ABV, 134 calories, 3.5 g of sugar, and 5.8 carbs.
The company sources its reposado tequila from a family-owned distillery in Jalisco, Mexico. For those tequila nerds like myself, the company says, "Our distillers use a roller mill to extract from the agave plant. From there, they cook with brick ovens (the more traditional, craft method), ferment in stainless-steel tanks, distilled in copper pots, and age for two months in primarily American-whiskey oak barrels."
All of Ranch Rider Spirits Co.'s products are vegan & gluten-free. Follow @ranchriderspirits: Instagram - Website
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