Food & Drink /Drink

High Teq: 6 Tequila Coolers to Sip This Summer

Tasty tequila sodas are not one-shot wonders.

By: Laura Robinson

The thought of tequila can bring up any number of Sunday Scaries past, wild beach parties or country songs—so, so many country songs (see Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off, Tequila Sheila, Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo…need I go on?)

Now you can add a canned craft cocktail to the list: tequila coolers are where it’s at this summer. Ranging from pure and tequila-forward for the staunch purists to the fruity fiesta-worthy for those just testing the waters, there’s a tequila brew for every palate.

Forget knocking back the cheap stuff at the bar with eyes squeezed shut—here are six of our favourite tequila coolers you’ll actually want to taste.

If you’re feeling a little more DIY, learn how to make a Paloma cocktail at home:

Paloma

Olé Cocktail Co.

Brewed in Alberta, available in Calgary and Vancouver

olecocktails.com

Margaritas get all the glory, but the bubbly grapefruit and agave Paloma is a top competitor. Olé’s elixir is candy-floss pink in colour and refreshingly grapefruit-y in flavour. The slightly salty bite at the end brings up visions of sitting oceanside while wearing an ostentatiously oversized sunhat. Glam.

Tequila Smash

Georgian Bay

Brewed in Ontario, available in Vancouver

georgianbayspiritco.com

If you’ve ever found yourself saying “never again” to tequila, this can is the baby step to fixing your relationship with the spirit. The tequila taste takes a backseat while a sweet sunburst of natural mango and lime flavours throw a fiesta so fruity you’ll forget you ever swore tequila off.

Tequila & Soda with Lime

Tequila Tromba

Ontario-owned, brewed in Mexico, available in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver

tequilatromba.com

Some tequilas aren’t 100 per cent derived from the blue agave plant—but this one is. Using some of the best tequila blanco out there with nothing more than soda and a splash of pure lime juice, it’s definitely tequila-forward—high-quality stuff, too. Unlike cheap versions, it won’t remind you of Sunday Scaries past.

Jalapeño Lime Tequila & Fizz

Side Project

Brewed in B.C., available in Calgary and Vancouver

@sideprojectbev

Tequila and lime is an obvious pairing, but the jalapeño in this dry, unsweetened sip gives it a delightful, extra flavour dimension. The spice is warm, with heat like ginger beer but better. Because…tequila.

Pineapple Tequila Soda

Nude

Brewed in B.C., available in Calgary and Vancouver

nudebeverages.com

Unsweetened and only 100 calories, this pared-back can is easy on the taste buds and the system. The natural pineapple flavour transports you beachside, while the tequila mellows out the fruitiness for a surprisingly delicious, caramel-like finish.

Grapefruit Tequila Paloma

Founder's Original

Brewed in Ontario, available in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver

foundersoriginal.com

Though this highly drinkable tallboy definitely doesn’t fit into the zero-sugar category like many of the cans on this list do, it strikes the perfect balance of sweet but not too sweet. The tequila taste is virtually nonexistent so it’s very chuggable—too many of these and you’ll find yourself singing with the mariachi band.