14 Canned Tequila Drink Brands, Ranked Worst To Best

Tequila has long been popular in the United States, but the situation kicked into overdrive when both tequila and mezcal became the fastest-growing spirits category in 2022. From Palomas to margaritas, there is a tequila-based cocktail out there for everyone, especially with the rise of canned, ready-to-drink cocktails.

Canned cocktails are perfect for taking to the beach, a picnic, or even your own living room. Every brand wants a piece of that canned cocktail pie, and several have released tequila-based drinks to jump on the trend. There are sparkling cocktails, heavily carbonated cocktails, still cocktails, and everything in between. If you're a tequila cocktail lover, there is surely something on the market for you. Luckily, if you need help deciding which brand is worth your buck, I tasted a variety of canned tequila cocktail drinks. This article will rank them from worst to best based on the balance of flavors, prominence of tequila, and whether the drink is worth cracking open another can.

Read more: 15 Popular Hard Seltzer Brands, Ranked Worst To Best

14. Spirited Hive

Spirited Hive is a brand with a passion for infusing honey into various cocktails, including their tequila-based cocktail, which contains tequila, ginger, lime, and honey. Upon viewing the ingredients list, I expected this drink to taste a bit like a cough drop -- and my expectations were met. It had a medicinal aroma from the ginger, which left a smoky tinge in the air thanks to the 7% ABV. The taste itself is not terrible, but there's a prominent cooling aftertaste that becomes overwhelming and a little too close to the feeling of using Vicks VapoRub.

The drink is very soothing and calming in the throat, as one would expect from the inclusion of honey and ginger, which traditionally treat coughs and colds. The ginger taste is the most prominent, but the honey is a close second, working to calm the strong ginger flavor and keep the drink from being too overwhelming. Still, when you open a can of a tequila-based cocktail, you don't expect it to taste as medicinal as Spirited Hive does, so the drink fails to live up to the standards set by its competitors.

13. Casa Azul

Casa Azul tequila soda was curated by a well-known entrepreneur in the beverage industry, Lance Collins. Collins founded Fuze and NOS Energy before stepping into the tequila cocktail business with the Casa Azul variety pack that includes flavors like watermelon, peach mango, lime margarita, and strawberry margarita. Each flavor has a 5% ABV and is made with tequila crafted in Jalisco, Mexico, sparkling water, and agave nectar -- the latter of which is prominent in each can, as the drinks are incredibly sweet.

Casa Azul cocktails have a strong tequila taste that shines through. It's a very herbaceous flavor that can overpower any other taste, so in the lime margarita, I was barely able to savor the lime portion. However, the opposite was true with the strawberry margarita where the taste of strawberry is too dominant to be enjoyable. Anything strawberry flavored is usually overwhelming in sweetness, like the White Claw Tequila Smash strawberry guava flavor. While the aroma of Casa Azul strawberry margarita is pleasant, I would not be able to get through a whole can of it. The other Casa Azul margarita flavors do not taste like margaritas at all; they each have a commanding sweetness that leaves little room for any desirable flavors.

12. Betty Booze

With a 4.5% ABV, Betty Booze claims to be committed to using clean ingredients. Despite this commitment, its drinks missed the mark.

Upon opening the sparkling tequila with lime shiso, there is a poignant scent of meat. Shiso is a beefsteak plant with leaves resembling uncooked beef, and it's often paired with fish like salmon and tuna. These ingredients and flavor profiles are unique to Betty Booze compared to the other brands listed here. The drink has carbonation and a balanced sweetness that leaves room for the lime and tequila -- which is highlighted by the shiso leaves. While the flavor gets increasingly more pleasant, the lime shiso pairing is an acquired taste.

Betty Booze also sells a sparkling tequila with oak-smoked lemonade flavor, which includes oak-infused lemonade, orange, and butter to keep the drink smooth, according to the brand. Unfortunately, the butter contributes to an overly sweet taste profile; this lemonade cocktail tastes like frosting. It's also quite sour, failing to balance the two main components of lemonade. Betty Booze has certainly curated some unique flavor offerings, but its sparkling tequilas might not be suitable for every palate.

11. Monaco Cocktails

Advertised as having two shots in every can, Monaco Lime Crush has a 9% ABV and is a mixed drink consisting of tequila, lime liqueur, and artificial flavors. According to the brand, the goal of Lime Crush was to curate a drinking experience similar to an actual margarita or a paloma, with added hints of grapefruit to elevate the flavor. Unfortunately, the drink fails to match the classic cocktails.

Simply put, drinking a can of Monaco Lime Crush tastes like drinking a can of Sprite, which would be fine if I wasn't expecting to sip a tequila-based cocktail. The aroma is pleasant and summery, which was a nice added touch to the otherwise below-average drinking experience. Monaco's Lime Crush tasted overly sweet and sugary -- likely from the addition of artificial flavors -- but there is a very light smoky aftertaste that allows you to taste the tequila. Unfortunately, the mouthfeel bordered on tacky after just a few sips, and that feeling increased as the drink got less cold. Monaco Lime Crush fell short of being a cocktail that is worth coming back to.

10. Onda

Founder Shay Mitchell started Onda with the goal of being free from additives, making it a tequila-based brand with real juice, blanco tequila, no added sugar, and just 100 calories. The look of the can is elegant and inviting, and the tequila seltzers come in flavors of blood orange, lime, grapefruit, watermelon, and more tropical options. Although the can looks good, Onda blood orange seltzers don't taste like the feel-good product the brand claims to present.

The blood orange flavor isn't as prominent as it is in the High Noon canned cocktail. Mostly, the Onda version tastes like seltzer water with a brief aftertaste of orange. It's fizzy, but more akin to a flat bottle of soda than a fresh can, and the orange flavoring doesn't come in until way after you've taken a sip. At best, Onda blood orange is a lightly flavored sparkling drink; at worst, it's a flavored seltzer that failed to live up to its name.

9. Straightaway Cocktails

With a 25% ABV, Straightaway Cocktails is best for consumers who like the effect of alcohol more than the taste. A can of Straightaway's margarita smells and tastes like burnt rubber, which makes sense considering the heavy use of tequila, mezcal, and orange liqueur. There are hints of citrus on the backend of each sip, from the lemon and lime juice used in the cocktail, and the smokiness from the habanero syrup piles on to the already smoky mezcal and tequila in the aftertaste.

Straightaway's margarita doesn't have the sweetness of a classic margarita, but it does have a pleasant sourness. Mostly, the smoky, burnt taste of the alcohol shines through. Interestingly, the brand's paloma is the opposite. With a subtle fruity taste that isn't particularly grapefruit yet isn't overly sweet, the paloma is surprisingly refreshing. The tequila only comes in at the end of each sip. However, the alcohol taste gets stronger as you drink, so my consensus about Straightaway is that it's not a brand for the faint of heart.

8. Cutwater

Cutwater is a brand that dabbles in many areas of the alcohol industry. From canned cocktails to gin, whiskey, and rum, the brand has an array of options to keep your bar well-stocked. The tequila paloma has a 7% ABV and is made with more than one shot of tequila, according to the brand. The spirit is definitely present in the aftertaste of this drink, with a smoky sensation that sneaks up on you after each sip.

This paloma is made with tequila and grapefruit soda, which leads to a medium-fizzy drink with a very sweet flavor, a lot like drinking a can of soda. Luckily, the drink doesn't carry the sourness that a grapefruit usually inhibits, and the finish of tequila works to cut the sweetness down just a little bit. Still, the tequila taste alone is not significant enough to make the sweetness of this cocktail easy to drink, so Cutwater falls just shy of hitting the mark. The brand does suggest serving the drink with a salted rim and a slice of grapefruit, which I think would work wonders to lessen the saccharinity and elevate the drinking experience.

7. Bluebird Hardwater

This Gen Z-founded brand has the goal of creating a drink to support social activities without a hangover. Bluebird delivers through their blend of spirits and water -- a simple combination creating a simple-tasting drink. The tequila cocktail tastes the same as drinking an average glass of water, with the faintest tequila aftertaste. The drink tastes exactly how you'd expect it to, and it does what it was made to do -- hydrate you while you drink.

Bluebird's tequila and water combination has a 4% ABV and just 78 calories, with no added carbonation, sugars, or sweeteners. Although, this tequila cocktail is less cocktail and more water in both consistency and flavor, which is great for the health-conscious consumer. That said, I think the drink could do well with an added slice of fruit -- maybe a lime for that margarita-like taste. It certainly is a good canned cocktail for summer, because you don't have to sacrifice fun to feel good the next day. That makes this hardwater a tequila drink worth having in your fridge.

6. Margs

Margs combines typical margarita flavors with the accessibility of a canned drink. These ready-to-drink cans come in five flavors: classic, coconut, spicy, mezcal, and mango. I tried the classic and spicy.

The classic sparkling margarita smells and tastes a lot like lime. On that first sip, there's a tingly, sour flavor in the mouth, combined with the tequila taste -- slightly bitter and vegetable-like. On the finish, there's also a burnt taste, almost a smokiness, which is cut by the sourness of the lime. The classic margarita strikes an impressive balance with a unique flavor.

Margs's spicy margarita has a prominent (and exciting) jalape?o smell. However, the taste is only spicy on the finish, which leaves a grainy, smoky flavor in the back of the throat; the initial sip tastes like a sweet pepper rather than a jalape?o. The spicy aftertaste develops after a few sips, while the lime flavor stays strong throughout. As a brand, Margs effectively uses its 5% ABV to curate a moderately tasty alcoholic beverage.

5. High Noon

Tequila-based cocktails are the life of any party, and High Noon's Fiesta Pack exemplifies that. It's a variety 8-pack with flavors, all with a 4.5% ABV. The two newer flavors -- prickly pear and blood orange -- add a bit of an edge to the brand's seltzer lineup.

The blood orange seltzer has a candied orange flavor, mirroring the sweetness of blood oranges, which are sweeter than regular oranges. The fizziness pairs well with the sweetness to prevent a heavy mouthfeel. You can start the evening with one or two cans of the blood orange with no issues; however, the drink may be too sweet to drink all night.

High Noon's prickly pear also has a prominent saccharinity that tows the balance between too strong and just right. I expected the taste to be more sour, as prickly pears often mirror the tartness in a strawberry or a raspberry. That flavor doesn't come through, but it does have a faint tartness on the finish, followed by a smoky tequila aftertaste. High Noon's classic lime and grapefruit flavors are tequila-forward with their fruity flavors shining through the heavy carbonation, so if nothing else, those flavors could be better options to carry your night to its end.

4. White Claw

White Claw is a hard seltzer industry leader that acquired a 45% market share in 2022 thanks to its popularity as a low calorie alternative. The brand jumped on the tequila craze with its White Claw Tequila Smash in four flavors: pineapple passionfruit, mango tamarind, lime prickly pear, and strawberry guava.

In the pineapple passionfruit, the two flavors completely blend together, with only the faintest grilled pineapple finish. There's a complexity in the brand's ability to thoroughly combine the two fruity flavors, but it has more difficulty with the strawberry guava flavor, which is overwhelmingly sweet and strawberry-dominant. It wouldn't be a good drink to come back to for a second can.

The other two flavors in White Claw's lineup are opposites -- the lime prickly pear flavor is classic, while the mango tamarind is a refreshing and uncommon savory take. The lime has an inviting aroma and a crisp, ripe finish that makes it refreshing; I'd come back to it. The mango tamarind flavor has less of a tequila flavor -- despite having the same 5% ABV as the rest of the cans -- but maintains a fresh savoriness, which is good for those who don't like sweet drinks.

3. Truly

Truly Tequila Soda launched with a regional test in 2023 that included four flavors, all with a 5% ABV: lime, grapefruit, watermelon, and pineapple guava. The brand launched a "Fiesta Pack" in April 2024, making a small but mighty change to one of the flavors: the watermelon became spicy watermelon. If you read my review of Truly versus White Claw, you know that Truly's watermelon flavor is spot-on. The drink tastes exactly as it is advertised -- like watermelon -- and the spicy version does just the same.

There is a sourness in the spicy watermelon aroma that lets you know there will be a tang in your taste test. That sour flavor is there on the backend of a sip, too, and it's a welcome way to balance out the saccharinity of the watermelon flavor. Truly's lime flavor is a classic lime tequila soda -- it's tart and sour, and even has a slight saltiness that tastes like the salt rim of a margarita. The grapefruit flavor is as fruity as you'd expect, but it balances itself off well, as the refreshing tequila flavor comes in on the finish to freshen up the drink. Truly knows how to nail a flavor by giving you exactly what is advertised on the can, which makes it a reliable brand that's worth coming back to.

2. Epic Western

Epic Western's Chispa Rita and La Paloma have an 8% ABV, no sugar, and 5 carbs. The Chispa Rita, the brand's take on a margarita, includes lime, sparkling water, and salt. It is less sweet than most margaritas, so you can taste the earthiness from the tequila. The drink is as fizzy as a can of soda. Mixed with a subtle lime flavor, the added salt in the drink maintains its tartness, which in turn offsets the taste of the alcohol.

The Paloma has a strong aroma of tequila as soon as it's opened. Made with grapefruit and sparkling Mexican mineral water, the drink has an expected sweetness -- if you like grapefruit-flavored drinks, this is one that will deliver. The Paloma finds a happy medium in its carbonation -- it's not too flat, but not too fizzy. Plus, the added salt in the drink cuts the sweetness of the grapefruit just enough, illuminating the mineral taste of tequila while maintaining the fruity undertones. The salt added to Epic Western drinks makes the brand a game changer for tequila-based drinks, allowing the brand to manage sweetness and focus on the vegetable-like flavor profiles in tequila.

1. Jose Cuervo Cocktails

A Tasting Table article in January 2024 ranked Jose Cuervo the worst of 25 tequila brands. But the brand's canned tequila cocktail offerings turned things around by effectively balancing flavors, highlighting the tequila, and giving consumers exactly what's advertised -- including an 8% ABV.

Made with Jose Cuervo tequila, triple sec, and natural lime flavors, the classic margarita has an earthy, fresh aroma, with hints of lime and tequila. The drink tastes exactly like a margarita from a bar. The muletta -- or tequila mule -- has a strong, dominating aroma of ginger. (According to the can, the drink is a Mexican mule made with tequila. Mexican mules are made with ginger beer, hence the flavor.) The initial sip has a prominent ginger taste, but subsequent sips allow the tequila and a slight sweetness to come through. If your go-to drink is a mule, this canned cocktail is for you.

The pink lemonade margarita has a subtle smell, but the taste is very sweet and sour, like a Jolly Rancher. A slight tequila taste balances out the sweetness, but this is still a perfect drink for those who prefer tasting less alcohol. Jose Cuervo canned cocktails are bubbly, similar to a can of soda. Out of all the canned tequila cocktails on our list, this is the brand I'll surely come back to.

Methodology

The brands in this article were chosen based on their popularity in the market, as well as the variety of the drinks and flavors that each offers. Each drink was tasted cold, from the can. The most enjoyable brands were those that were able to make the flavor profiles come through clearly and those that have an option for every flavor preference -- from sweet with a hidden alcohol flavor to savory and tequila-forward. Canned cocktails that effectively balanced the tequila flavors with the respective fruit juices in the drink were most highly rated. Higher rankings were also given to brands with drinks that I would likely return to, and that I'd recommend keeping on hand for your next social gathering.

Read the original article on Tasting Table