I Tried 12 Jarritos Soda Flavors and I Didn't See the Winner Coming

When it comes to sodas, Jarritos has one of the most colorful and flavor-diverse lines out there. The brand, which is famous for its fruity flavors, is known as the “Official Drink of Tacos.” The word “jarritos” translates to “little jugs” in English and refers to the clay jugs that were used to store fruit-flavored agua frescas. That image is also prominent on their label as a testament to this heritage. 

Pronounced “hah-REE-toes,” this Mexican soda line was founded in 1950 by chemist Don Francisco “El Güero” Hill. Fun fact: The brand started with coffee-flavored soda before changing to fruity flavors like mandarin. The soda was so popular in Mexico that by 1960, it was sold in about 80% of Mexican states. It finally arrived in the U.S. in 1980 and over the years has become a fan favorite.

And while I’m a Jarritos fan, I typically choose the same couple of flavors. That ended when I was asked to try a dozen flavors of the soda to find the best Jarritos flavor (at least in my opinion).

To the outside world, this taste test may seem like a breeze, but my taste testers and I took our jobs seriously, sipping and savoring to see which flavor really matched the name. This marks my fourth soda-related ranking for Parade, so at the end of the tasting, I joked that maybe I’m a sodammelier now (ha!). 

Curious to know the winner? Here’s my ranking of 12 Jarritos flavors from worst to best. 

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Where to Buy Jarritos Sodas

Jarritos are everywhere! You can find them in grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, liquor stores, restaurants and even online. They’re sold in the classic 12.5-ounce glass bottles, plastic 12.5-ounce bottles and 1.5-liter versions. If you’re lucky, you’ll find at least five flavors. To see if your favorite flavor is available near you, check out the Jarritos’ store finder map. 

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How I Tested These Jarritos Sodas

The first thing I did was refrigerate my case of 12 flavors. Cold drinks, especially soda, deliver a crisper, more balanced taste and increased carbonation. We—myself, my husband and 2 kids—wanted the full experience to give these sodas a proper review. 

This ranking worked out perfectly because we tested them on our deck on a hot summer Chicago day. With so many varieties, our job was to determine how well the taste matched the name. Would pineapple really give us that tropical feel? Would the classic mandarin, which was the winner in my orange soda taste test, grab the crown again? Or would lesser-known flavors, like grapefruit and guava, become new favorites? For those answers (and more), keep reading. 

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12 Popular Jarritos Soda Flavors, Ranked From Worst to Best

Whether you want something tropical or are craving a citrusy drink, this list has something for you. 

12. Jarritos Fruit Punch

I already know that ranking fruit punch last is controversial. It’s a crowd favorite, but we felt that it needed more dimension. I’ve sampled many fruit punch brands over my lifetime, and this brand’s take is a bit subdued. For us, it wasn’t the classic fruit punch where you could decipher the assortment of fruit, nor did it have enough sweetness. 

11. Jarritos Tamarind

Tamarind is definitely not something my kids were familiar with, so they were a little skeptical when trying this flavor. This sweet-sour drink, which is flavored with tamarind pulp, was the second flavor developed and sold by Jarritos, so it’s got some solid history behind it. We didn’t mind it and thought the level of sweet and tart was spot on, but it wasn’t our favorite, which is how it ended up near the bottom of the list.

10. Jarritos Lime

One thing that stands out about this flavor is its bright, neonish green color. I learned that early on, labels weren’t placed on Jarritos’ bottles, so tasters chose them based on color, which helps explain why this soda has such a colorful range. This isn’t a fresh, acidic lime juice kind of soda; it’s more of a sweetened lime drink. It reminded us of a dried lime powder mixed with sparkling water. If you’re looking for a lime soda that’s tart, sugary and bubbly, this didn’t quite live up to those standards.

9. Jarritos Mexican Cola

Visually, Mexican Cola delivers that classic rich brown color. I especially appreciate the use of real cane sugar rather than the high-fructose corn syrup used by many other brands. For that reason alone, I’d happily drink this as a cola alternative (although it’s hard to find in stores). 

Mexican Cola ranks at 9 because it was good, but it didn’t blow us away. It reminded us of RC Cola rather than a Pepsi or Coca-Cola. When I was growing up, Royal Crown (RC) Colas were very popular in the Chicago area, especially in pizza places. I liked RC Cola because it was less sweet than Coke or Pepsi, crisp, mildly fizzy and less acidic. This cola would be great on its own or in an ice cream float. 

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8. Jarritos Pineapple

Jarritos’ Pineapple is beautifully golden but not fluorescent yellow. Once you pop off the cap, there’s a blast of pineapple, so we were clearly expecting the taste to follow. Sadly, the pineapple taste was a bit watered down. The natural flavor of fresh, ripe pineapple and its acidity were there briefly, but we thought it should be stronger to rank higher. That said, we did think this flavor would be a fun one to try as a cocktail mixer.

7. Jarritos Strawberry

Strawberry is a pretty unique soda flavor, and the brand captures the bright red color of the fruit. We also loved that it wasn’t overly sugary. After round one of tasting, the strawberry and pineapple flavors were almost tied, so we had to try them again the next day to reevaluate our scores. Strawberry ended up edging out pineapple in tasting round two, but we thought the berry flavor needed to be enhanced to really live up to the name.

6. Jarritos Passion Fruit 

Passion fruit was first in our taste test, and its ranking caused some deep discussions. The fruity, tropical smell was spot-on. It was citrusy and bright, and it tasted a little sweet and tart. Like some of the other fruity sodas, we just wanted more of the fruit flavor. Perhaps it needed more sugar to amplify the passionfruit or just more of the raw product. 

Either way, it was enjoyable enough to land in the middle of the pack. I do wonder how well it would taste mixed with pineapple. My husband noted that passion fruit juice or passion fruit puree would be great as a mixer. Yum!

Related: The Coolest (and Most Delicious) Way to Eat Passion Fruit

5. Jarritos Mandarin

Mandarin is one of the most popular Jarritos flavors and was among the first flavors developed, along with lime, fruit punch and tamarind. What’s fascinating is that, in addition to the Fiesta Pack, which included all of the core flavors, we also received samples of Mandarin Zero, which has zero sugar and calories. My daughter thought the zero version tasted better than the standard mandarin. Interesting, huh? 

Overall, we thought the mandarin flavor had a pleasant orange flavor, along with a bright citrus taste, low acidity and mild sweetness. It was good, but we liked a few of the other flavors a bit more.

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4. Jarritos Grapefruit

Grapefruit was a standout favorite from the beginning. If you’re looking for it, it’s in a green bottle. Personally, I wasn’t sure if I would like it because I find that grapefruit-flavored drinks or foods can be overly citrusy. I’m happy to admit that I was so wrong. All of us thought that it was similar to the Jamaican soda, Ting, which is a sparkling grapefruit soda we absolutely love. 

Both Ting and Jarritos have carefully mastered the balance of carbonation and the delicate and pure sweetness of grapefruit without the bitterness. My husband said that it’s “very summery,” and I would add that it’s refreshing, clean and downright delicious. This was my number 1 choice—until we explored other fruity flavors. 

3. Jarritos Guava

Guava was also a top-spot contender from the beginning. If you’ve never seen this tropical fruit, its flesh is pink and the skin is either yellow or green. That’s why the soda color is pink. Guava is commonly found in Mexico, in addition to other tropical locations. 

Without even tasting it, the smell transports you to an island. When you do get that hit on your tongue, it’s so authentic. It’s as if someone blended guava flesh, added some sugar and combined it with sparkling water. This will definitely be a new addition to my soda rotation if I can find it locally (crossing my fingers). 

2. Jarritos Mango

I love fresh mangos, but I’ve found that mango-flavored foods can sometimes skew too sweet. So, when we tried this one, I was expecting it to be overwhelmingly sugary. 

I’m was happily wrong again. My daughter commented that it tasted like carbonated mango juice without being overly sugary. With no aftertaste or artificial sweetener, this flavor really impressed us. I think a mango margarita is in my near future. 

Related: The Clever Mango Hack We Wish We’d Known About Sooner

1. Jarritos Watermelon

For us, watermelon ranked first because it didn’t need any improvement. Yes, it’s on the sweeter side (like a slice of ripe watermelon would be), but it’s not artificially sweet. Its richness did remind us of a watermelon candy, but we thought that this fruit-forward flavor was closer to the real fruit than the 11 others. Going into this taste test, I wouldn’t have predicted that watermelon would be the winner, but be on the lookout for this one!

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