Cantarito

No, though it does real work. Unglazed barro is porous, so a soaked cup stays cold longer than glass and gives off a wet-earth smell that becomes part of the drink. Failing that, put a highball in the freezer for ten minutes and salt the rim.

Chili-lime salt, Tajin being the usual choice, though plain coarse salt works. Run a lime wedge around the outside of the glass only, then roll it through salt spread on a plate, so none falls in and turns the last inch briny.

If you like Palomas mainly for the grapefruit, yes. A Paloma is tequila and grapefruit soda, so the sweetness is decided at the bottling plant. Here the soda is a 30 ml finish and the sugar comes from the fruit, which makes it drier and juicier, and slightly different every time the oranges change.

Partly the point, partly a new cup. Soak it in water for an hour or two before the first use and again for ten minutes before each pour, and the raw clay note settles into something closer to wet stone. Never put one in a dishwasher, and never let it dry with juice still in it.

A classic Cantarito calls for 45 ml (1.5 oz) Tequila, 15 ml (0.5 oz) Fresh lime juice, 30 ml (1 oz) Orange juice, 30 ml (1 oz) Grapefruit juice, 30 ml (1 oz) Soda water. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

A standard Cantarito is roughly 12% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it about as strong as a glass of wine.

A Cantarito is built directly in the glass over ice — no shaker required. Add the ingredients in order and give it a brief, gentle stir.