Move over Paloma, there’s a new Mexican highball trending on bar lists: the Cantarito.

This regional Jalisco cocktail was born during the Mexican Revolution (1910 – 1917) and was created to refresh and reward soldiers after victorious battles. It has evolved into a mix of fresh grapefruit, orange and lime juice, grapefruit soda, tequila and salt, garnished with a Tajin rim.

Kirk Miller at Inside Hook describes the Cantarito as “the most fun drink I’ve ever had”, while Mel Magazine says its “Mexico’s greatest party cocktail”.

Last year, the concoction crossed the border into the mainstream RTD market in the United States when Brown-Forman launched the New Mix brand stateside, formulated with El Jimador Blanco Tequila in the United States, with a Cantarito flavour.

In Jalisco, however, the cocktail is traditionally enjoyed group-style in enormous pottery jars. But an earthenware cup or highball glass is a perfectly good individual substitute for Aussie drinkers.

Try Dan Murphy’s easy Cantarito recipe here.

And, to completely shake your Cantarito game up, Four Pillars has just released El Cuatro Gin, which aims to take on tequila in traditional Mexican cocktails.

Inspired by the colour, energy and bold flavours of Mexico, the gin combines fragrant habanero chillis, agave nectar, aromatic oregano, zesty finger limes and bitter orange peel. 

Four Pillars Creative Director of Gin Drinks Nick Tesar suggests applying a half-Tajin rim to a highball glass, adding 45ml El Cuatro, 15ml orange juice, 15ml grapefruit, 15ml lime juice, 5ml sugar syrup, 1 pinch of salt and topped off with 60ml soda water. Top the drink with ice and garnish with a grapefruit wedge.

Four Pillars El Cuatro Gin ($82) will be available to the Four Pillars email database from 19 February and to the public from 24 February. Learn more here.