***Update 05/12/2023***

Seltzer Nation reviews one of the hottest and most requested hard sodas on the market, Cantaritos Hard Sodas! Cantaritos Hard Sodas by Jarritos come in 4 flavors: Fruit Punch, Pineapple, Mandarin, and Tamarind. Here at Seltzer Nation, we’re new to Tamarind as a flavor, but we can now say that we’re big fans of boozy prune hard soda! These are fantastic hard sodas, literally some of the best we’ve tried. Which ones will David and Kira rate highest? Watch now to find out!

***11/04/2022***

Cantaritos Hard Sodas by Jarritos

The drinks we enjoyed as kids very rarely taste great to our adult tastebuds. Sweet, sugary drinks — whether they came in a liquid or a powder additive — were the highlight of our childhood days. Now, they’re unpalatable. This is often true. However, there are exceptions. Some drinks that appeal to kids end up being just as delicious when you’re all grown up. Jarritos is one of these drinks. They come in fun, bright reds, yellows, and greens. These scream — kids’ drink! Do you know what this colorful array also screams? Cocktails! Maybe the makers of Jarritos had this thought, too, as the brand just announced that it’s planning a new product, Cantaritos Hard Sodas.

In a story broken by Beer Business Daily, Anheuser-Busch announced that it recently joined into a partnership with Novamex to produce a line of hard sodas named Cantaritos “By Jarritos.”

“Please join me in celebrating our new partnership with Novamex,” A-B InBev Beyond Beer chief Fabricio Zonzini wrote, “A leading manufacturer of authentic Mexican brands in the United States, to launch Cantaritos Hard Soda, a new-to-world alcohol brand that takes inspiration from favorite Jarritos soda flavors.”

Hard Sodas

Anheuser-Busch may be the world’s largest alcohol distributor, but it’s arguably “late to the game” when it comes to hard sodas. A-B Inbev is definitely not the first brewing company to release a line of alcoholic beverages using the branding of popular sodas. Molson Coors partnered with Coca-Cola to produce hard seltzers Topo Chico and Simply Spiked. Constellation Brands and Brown-Forman also partnered with Coca-Cola for new-to-market ready-to-drink cocktails Fresca Mixed and Coca-Cola and Jack Daniels (respectively). Boston Beer Company partnered with PepsiCo to produce Hard Mountain Dew. It’s a growing trend that’s bringing consumers boozy versions of their favorite sodas, seltzers, and juices. Other popular brands that will soon hit the market with alcoholic versions include Vita Coco and Captain Morgan, Pepsi’s Lipton Iced Tea, and Monster’s The Beast Unleashed.

The Details

According to Zonzini, Cantaritos are inspired by the “traditional clay jars served in Mexico’s vibrant celebrations.” Jarritos is an authentic Mexican brand popular with Hispanic consumers. Zonzini went on to say, “Cantaritos Hard Sodas are made to Flavor Your Fiesta in refreshing, bold-tasting flavors…”

Cantaritos Hard Sodas will come in four flavors, Mandarin, Pineapple, Tamarind, and Fruit Punch. The bottles and branding will resemble the original branding of Jarritos. You’ll be able to buy Cantaritos Hard Sodas in 12 oz flavor variety 12-packs, single-flavor 6-packs (Pineapple and Mandarin only), and single-flavor 25oz cans. These drinks will have an alcohol content of 5% ABV, which is standard for hard sodas and hard seltzers.

Now for the bad news. Unfortunately, Cantaritos Hard Sodas will not roll out nationally any time soon. However, if you’re a resident of Texas or California, you will be able to get your hands on these hard sodas sometime next spring, 2023.

Want to find your perfect hard seltzer or canned cocktail? Try our new Seltzer Finder! You can search by flavor, ABV, carbs, and more to discover your ideal beverage.