Jarritos: 7 Best Flavors & 4 Delicious Recipe Ideas

Diana Barkley (Senior Editor)

Jarritos is well-known for being America’s favorite Mexican soda. We’ll delve into exactly what flavors the popular brand started with in this article (hint: they were a bit strange.) We’ll also tell you all about the best flavors, typical ingredients, and more.

Its popularity is pretty easy to explain: Jarritos make fruity flavors that are bold and delicious. This makes them stand out against more weakly-flavored, artificial tasting sodas, and gives them a kind of premium appeal.

But there’s more to Jarritos than just their bold flavoring, including an interesting history and naming convention. Their first flavors weren’t very fruity either. 

What to Know about Jarritos Flavors

What to Know about Jarritos Flavors

Jarritos are well-known for their flavorful drinks in plenty of colorful varieties. But there are more fun facts to the iconic Mexican brand than at first meets the eye:

The bright sodas pride themselves in being made with real cane sugar and natural flavoring. They steer clear of artificial or over processed ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup.

Jarritos bottles are something of an icon due to their unique shape. They’re frequently associated with Mexican culture and sometimes used for crafts or decorations.

The popular brand is also well-known for its creative marketing campaigns. They often use bright colors and funny storylines to appeal to a younger crowd.

Jarritos are very active on social media for the same reason, interacting with fans and sharing promotions, contests, and content generated by popular ‘influencers.’

Jarritos is no longer just a Mexican soda either — it’s well-known across the US and in other Spanish-speaking countries across the world.

Origin of Jarritos

Origin of Jarritos

Jarritos was first introduced in 1950, when Don Francisco ‘El Güero’ Hill created it in Mexico City.

The name comes from the word ‘jarrito’, which is Spanish for little jug. Apparently this comes from a regional penchant of people drinking from little clay pottery jugs.

The brand has since grown far beyond the reaches of Mexico, and is available internationally.

Who Invented Jarritos

Who Invented Jarritos

Don Francisco ‘El Güero’ Hill first created Jarritos. He was actually known to be quite an established chemist, and his first creation was a coffee-flavored soda.

‘El Güero’ means fair-haired, so we can only assume that this describes his appearance.

Perhaps all that extra coffee drinking made his hair lighten prematurely, who knows?

Ingredients of Typical Jarritos Drinks

Ingredients of Typical Jarritos Drinks

A typical bottle of Jarritos contains carbonated water, sugar, citric acid, natural flavoring, sodium benzoate (a preservative), and coloring.

While the healthiness of the added coloring is debatable, the addition of real sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup is definitely better for you.

Jarritos pride themselves in their use of sugar, as they say it guarantees the taste fans of the beverage have loved for decades.

What Jarritos Tastes Like

What Jarritos Tastes Like

Jarritos are made in a variety of delicious fruit flavors, including some less-mainstream varieties such as guava, tamarind, hibiscus, and guava.

These flavors as well as their bold coloring are what makes Jarritos stand out alongside other soda brands.

Jarritos range from subtly sweet to just like candy to floral or zingy, depending on your flavor of choice.

Alcohol in Jarritos

Alcohol

Regular Jarritos doesn’t contain any alcohol, but they’ve recently introduced ‘hard’ sodas which have 5% alcohol content.

The Cantaritos range is available in a select few flavors for now, but who knows, the brand may add more in the future if they’re popular.

The Best Jarritos Flavors Ranked

The Best Jarritos Flavors Ranked

At time of writing there are 12 Jarritos flavors available to buy.

With such a rather small selection to choose from, it’s hard to pick a favorite. That’s because Jarritos appear to have nailed their flavor selection so well, only selling drinks that actually taste good.

There’s not a single flavor that doesn’t have at least some fans. Below are our favorites all the same.

Mandarin

Mandarin

The tangy, sweet Mandarin Jarritos is hands-down the number 1 fan favorite across the internet.

It’s popular for its citrusy mandarin flavor, which seems to burst in your mouth with its zingy, refreshing taste.

It’s also nice because it’s similar to orange without being an orange soda, and of course it contains Jarritos’ signature natural flavoring so it’s a bit better for you as well.

Grapefruit

Grapefruit

Grapefruit Jarritos is tangy, tart, and a little bit sweet. It’s delicious when served cold and a great alternative to other, sweeter citrus-flavored sodas.

You can easily mix Grapefruit Jarritos into your favorite mocktails or cocktails, too.

Add some chilled slices of fresh grapefruit and a sprig of mint for an extra kick.

Lime

Lime

Jarritos’ Lime flavor soda is one of the most popular varieties and for good reason: it’s less sweet than the other flavors and offers a refreshing sour, zingy taste that’s hard to resist.

We recommend drinking this one ice cold with a sprig of mint in it.

Top tip: you can pair this with your favorite Mexican beer for a tasty shandy — ideal for hot days in front of the BBQ.

Pineapple

Pineapple

The pineapple flavor in the Jarritos lineup is another fan favorite. To us, it’s up there with all of the other top varieties because it’s so unusual, well-crafted, and fruity.

Pineapple flavor is somewhat tricky to get right and can taste overly sweet and artificial — not so with Jarritos’ Pineapple soda.

It contains natural pineapple flavoring as well as apple and carrot juice concentrates, so it makes sense that it tastes juicy and delicious.

Guava

Guava

The Guava Jarritos has been described as ‘well-balanced’ and unique in flavor. The pink coloring makes it somewhat especially nice to look at as well.

The only disappointing thing about this one is that it contains both natural and artificial flavors.

Then again they do well at creating a lifelike guava flavor that’s irresistible to fans and Jarritos-newbies alike.

Strawberry

Strawberry

Strawberry-flavor sodas sometimes get a bad rap for being overly sweet and artificial-tasting. Strawberry Jarritos stands as something of an exception, boasting real fruit flavoring and an enticing red color.

It’s definitely a fan favorite and tastes delicious on its own.

As with other berry drinks, this one is sweeter than some of the other flavors. So if that’s not your thing, you might want to skip it.

Mango

Mango

The Mango Jarritos is the last of our fan-favorite lineup in this article.

This one’s perfect for a hot summer day and perfectly pairs juicy mango flavors with fizzy carbonated water.

Some mango beverages can be thick and almost smoothie-like, making them a little less satisfying on a warm day. Mango Jarritos offers the perfect balance.

The Original Jarritos Flavors

The Original Jarritos Flavors

Initially, Jarritos focused on just one flavor. It was unusual and quickly caught the attention of eager soda fans.

Soon, a second flavor was added – another unusual variety that wasn’t available in any other drink at the time. And thus Jarritos began its humble beginnings with two interesting original flavors.

Coffee

Coffee

It may sound strange to our modern ears, but the first Jarritos flavor ever available was coffee.

Francisco Hill, the founder of Jarritos, was committed to creating flavors that were completely different from the sodas available in the US at the time. As such, coffee was born and quickly gained popularity across Mexico and beyond.

Tamarind

Tamarind

Tamarind was the second ever Jarritos flavor.

Tamarind is a kind of edible brown-colored fruit pod. Its taste is a mixture of tart, sweet, and even sour.

It’s certainly an unusual one, which is probably why Francisco Hill chose it as the second flavor in his repertoire. This one also became popular at a fast pace, and is even available today.

Types of Jarritos Drinks

Types of Jarritos Drinks

At time of writing, Jarritos produce two types of drinks — their delicious, refreshing sodas and a ‘hard’ alcoholic variety.

Both are available in their standard flavors, with the alcoholic versions having a more limited range, as you’ll find out below.

Jarritos

Jarritos

Standard Jarritos provide an excellent alternative to other mainstream soda beverages. Jarritos drinks are available in three sizes: a 12.5 fl oz can, 20 oz bottles, and a 1.5 liter bottle.

Cantaritos

Cantaritos

Jarritos have recently introduced a ‘hard’ variety, but this is essentially the same with an added 5 percent ABV. It’s sold under the name Cantaritos, and available in the flavors Mandarin, Pineapple, Fruit Punch, and Tamarind.

Delicious Recipe Ideas with Jarritos

Delicious Recipe Ideas with Jarritos

In case you didn’t already realize this, Jarritos make for great mixers as well. They’re perfect on their own and enjoyed ice cold on a sunny day. They’re also great blended into some of our favorite cocktail and mocktail recipes.

Pink Passion Cocktail

Pink Passion Cocktail

This delicious, slightly unusual pink cocktail makes use of Jarritos Guava, a fresh, juicy orange, and a dash of vodka.

Simply stir some freshly squeezed orange juice and about 1.5 fl oz of your favorite vodka into a glass alongside Jarritos Guava.

Like a more tart drink? Replace the orange with lime.

Garnish with some orange or lemon peel twisted into a pretty swirl and enjoy.

Jarritos and Tequila

Jarritos and Tequila

Mixing your favorite Mexican soft drink with tequila isn’t just recommended – it makes sense.

To make your favorite tequila-based Jarritos cocktail, split a 12.5 fl oz bottle of Jarritos between two glasses. Add 1-2 fl oz of your favorite tequila to each glass, a dash of fresh lime juice, and a few ice cubes. Enjoy.

Top tip: all of the Jarritos flavors are great with tequila, but the lime and strawberry flavors are particularly fresh and fruity.

Frozen Watermelon Mocktail

Frozen Watermelon Mocktail

Nothing says summer like this fabulous frozen watermelon mocktail made with your favorite Jarritos. We found it recommended with the fruit punch flavor, but it’s good with any flavor.

Simply cut some watermelon into cubes and freeze until solid. Add a couple to each glass and top with your favorite Jarritos soda.

Top with a dash of lime juice and a sprig of fresh mint. This makes for a superb drink for kids, too.

Jarritos Ice Cream Floats

Jarritos Ice Cream Floats

Nothing says summer like an ice cream float. Did you know that they were first created by an American drugstore clerk in 1874?

In any case, you can easily make your own at home using your favorite Jarritos flavor and one or two scoops of vanilla ice cream. Chill the glass you’re going to use beforehand, then mix your two ingredients and enjoy ice cold.

Funnily enough this treat would have probably been perfect for the original Jarritos coffee flavor. However, it’s just as good with the modern varieties — we’d recommend Strawberry or Mexican Cola.

Tasty Alternatives to Jarritos

Tasty Alternatives to Jarritos

Jarritos make some truly delicious sodas which you’ll certainly love on their own or mixed into your favorite cocktails and mocktails. Here we list some alternatives if you can’t get your hands on your favorite Jarritos flavor or just want to try something new.

Whole Foods Sparkling Italian Soda

Whole Foods Sparkling Italian Soda

Whole Foods make their own range of delicious soft drinks, which look pretty similar to Jarritos sodas.

Flavors include a juicy Pink Grapefruit, Orange Hibiscus, and Tangy Lemon to name a few.

You can use their Italian soda range in the same way you would Jarritos, by either enjoying them chilled on their own or mixing them into your favorite cocktails and mocktails.

Spindrift Sparkling Water

Spindrift Sparkling Water

Spindrift make a tasty range of sparkling waters mixed with real fruit juices.

Flavors include pineapple, lime, lemon, and grapefruit, but they also make a delicious Half Tea & Half Lemon drink, a Raspberry Lime flavor, and a Mango Orange one.

Spindrift are great on their own, over ice, or blended into a tasty mocktail or cocktail beverage.

LaCroix Sparkling Water

LaCroix Sparkling Water

Another firm favorite in the sparkling water flavored with natural juice category is LaCroix.

They craft tons of popular flavors such as Black Razzberry, LimonCello, Guava, Key Lime, Beach Plum, and more.

LaCroix are well-known for being something of a ‘diet friendly’ alternative to regular sodas. They’re flavorful, but less sweet than ‘juicier’ sodas such as Jarritos.

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