In collaboration with Jarritos, Nuestro Stories explores how a beloved soda became part of family tables, cultural pride, and everyday celebrations across generations.
Seventy-five years ago, as “Tú, Solo Tú” played on the radio and “Salón México” packed movie theaters, something was brewing, literally, in the heart of Mexico City. The year was 1950, when World War II was finally a memory, the baby boom was underway, and the nation was optimistic. In the midst of it all, a little-known inventor named Don Francisco “El Güero” Hill, with the quiet support of his wife and young children, was on the verge of creating one of Mexico’s most iconic flavors. He was about to invent Jarritos.
A Tinkerer, a Table, and the Birth of a Brand
Born in 1913 in Mexico, the devoted father and aspiring chemist, Francisco “El Guero” Hill (affectionately known as “Coco” by his 18 grandchildren.) was a relentless tinkerer. “He was very restless, extremely creative, and ahead of his time,” one of his sons, Francisco Hill, explains. “He was an inventor, essentially. He specialized in beverages, but everything he invented was ahead of its time.”
In the late 1940s, Mexicans cherished their traditional aguas frescas, refreshing drinks made from fruits, flowers, and seeds. But cola-flavored sodas were quickly gaining ground, especially in urban centers. This is where Francisco Hill saw an opportunity.
The inventor wanted to offer soda drinkers something better. From his family’s home in the Del Valle neighborhood of Mexico City, and with the constant support of his wife, he began experimenting with
natural flavors and carbonation. It was something he knew well.
“When my dad started working at a juice plant, an essential oils factory, he met Dr. Ernest Günther, a scientist who noticed he had an exceptional palate and memory,” his son explains. “Günther became his mentor and taught him the scientific side. His books on essential oils are still used today.”
Hill’s time under Günther’s guidance sharpened his technical skills. But it was his natural gift that made the difference. “He was a supertaster,” his son says. “He could tell the difference between an orange grown in Veracruz and one from Jalisco … not just by smell, but by how it sat on his tongue.”
That extraordinary sensitivity guided Hill as he developed what would become the core of the Jarritos
brand. But it was very much a family affair.
“My dad didn’t like working alone,” his son recalls. “The dining room table was full of bottles and pipettes. He’d call us over to taste: ‘What does this remind you of?’ And if he stained the carpet, he’d tell my mom, ‘Don’t worry, with this formula I’ll buy you a new one.’”
None of them – not Hill, not his wife, not their children – could have imagined that his homemade concoctions would eventually become a household name across Mexico and beyond.
The Flavor That Couldn’t Be Imitated
In 1950, Hill officially launched the Jarritos brand with the first Jarritos flavor, coffee, in a modest rollout from their home base in Mexico City. And it didn’t go well.
“It was a flop,” his son Carlos Hill admitted. “You’re talking about a coffee soda in the 1950s. Back then, people only drank coffee with milk at breakfast. So, it didn’t work.”
But Hill didn’t give up. He instead focused on the flavors people already loved: tamarind, mandarin, lime, and “tutti frutti,” better known as “fruit punch” in the United States. These four became the brand’s first successful lineup. “Several brands tried to imitate it,” his son says, “but no one ever matched the Jarritos flavor.”
Jarritos stood apart for its authentic Mexican flavors and its thoughtful branding. The name “Jarritos” itself, Spanish for “little jugs,” paid homage to the traditional clay pitchers used to serve aguas frescas across the country. It was a clever, nostalgic touch that struck a chord. And the packaging was just as distinctive. According to his sons, Hill designed the bottle and logo himself.
“He was an extraordinary illustrator. He had this ability. He’d pick up a pencil and, in two minutes, sketch a bottle and a label. It was amazing,” his son, Francisco Hill, says.
The iconic Jarritos silhouette, embossed with three clay jugs, became instantly recognizable. “The first bottle already had the Jarritos name and the three jugs logo painted on it. It did not list the flavor; the color of the soda did that …” Carlos Hill explains. “It also had the little jugs on the neck of the bottle and the slogan was there too below the logo: !Que buenos son!”
Over the years, ad agencies suggested changing it, modernizing it, but we never allowed it to be replaced. Only slightly updated.”
The Jarritos brand didn’t stay small for long.
From Backyard Fiestas to National Fame
By the late 1950s, Jarritos had already become a household name in Mexico. Francisco ‘El Güero’ Hill had contracted the services of several Mexican bottlers who began producing and distributing the brand’s four original flavors—tamarind, mandarin, lime, and fruit punch. Quickly, Jarritos became a cultural staple, found everywhere from street carts to backyard fiestas. The brand even embedded itself into everyday life through La Copa Jarrito de Oro (1957–63), a soccer tournament where top teams competed for a golden Jarritos trophy.
It was also during this era that the company navigated growing pains, but loyalty ran strong, and the company kept growing.
By the 1980s, La Preferida began importing Jarritos to Chicago in small batches, though it struggled to gain traction at first. In 1988, Mexican entrepreneur Luis Fernandez from Ciudad Juarez approached the Hill family with a proposal to bottle Jarritos locally and distribute it across the border. They agreed, recognizing that Fernandez understood the distribution model needed to succeed in the U.S. market. A year earlier, he had already begun bottling and distributing Sangria Señorial under a joint venture, and by 1989 he partnered with the country’s oldest soda brand, Sidral Mundet. Together, these three core brands grew rapidly in the United States under Tipp Distributors, which was later renamed Novamex in 1999.”
The Partnership That Gave Jarritos Its Wings
If Francisco Hill was the heart of Jarritos, the partnership with Fernandez became its wings. With a mission to share Mexican culture with the world, Fernandez understood both the magic of authentic Hispanic brands and the need for smart partnerships to get them into people’s hands.
“It was an excellent decision on both sides,” Hill’s son, Carlos, explains. “On one hand, we had the most iconic Mexican brand. On the other, the Fernández family brought three generations of experience in the beverage industry. They knew operations, understood the business, were well- trained and were extraordinary entrepreneurs.”
Eventually, in 2011, Fernández merged everything together under Novamex, headquartered in El Paso and Ciudad Juárez — a perfect blend of Mexican roots and American reach. His vision extended far beyond simply shipping bottles across the border. Through Novamex, Jarritos gained the full support it needed to flourish: mandarins sourced from Yucatán orchards, flavor experts in Mexico City, bottling plants in northern Mexico, and the warehouses and trucks that carried the drinks onto store shelves across the United States.
“We built lasting relationships with farmers, suppliers, distributors, restaurants, and grocery chains, and today Jarritos can be found in more than 400,000 points of sales across the country. We doubled down on what made the brand special: natural flavors, real cane sugar, and those now-iconic glass bottles. Plus, we created fun, colorful campaigns that connected with fans on both sides of the border.” Says Luis Fernandez.
Over time, Novamex grew to include other beloved Mexican and natural drink brands, but Jarritos always held a special place. And the goal was never just to sell soda. It was to share a little piece of Mexico with the world, one sip at a time.
“We may not be perfect, but we’re striving to be our best in the way we know how, through our products,” the Novamex team says. “We not only export products, we export our culture to the world. Each unique taste is a delicious slice of our Mexican heritage. ‘Be Super Good & Stay Unique’ aren’t just words. They are a philosophy that we proudly infuse into every aspect of our business.”
Guided by Novamex’s values, purpose, dedication, and know-how, Jarritos became a global icon—proof of what’s possible when an organization has a clear vision that people believe in and insist on keeping true to its authentic self.
From Local Markets to the World Stage
During the late 80s and 1990s, thanks to the new Novamex partnership, the Jarritos brand grew like a “tree of life,” rooted in Hispanic neighborhoods, and branching into mainstream grocery aisles everywhere.
In the early 2000s, Jarritos continued to be all about tradition, sabor, and familia. As the brand grew, so did its cultural footprint. By the 2010s, Jarritos dove into street culture, resonating as with a new wave of young, diverse fans. Jarritos sets its sights globally and expands distribution to more countries. The brand’s refreshed look, variety packs, and bold personality helped it stand out. And, by 2016, the slogan “Super Good!” sealed its place in the hearts of a younger generation.
Building on that momentum, the 2020s saw Jarritos leap from being the “Official Drink of Tacos” to becoming a trend on TikTok. With 12 flavors and a growing global audience, the brand continued to evolve — all while staying true to its roots. The brand is now closely tied to Mexican cuisine. Many U.S. taquerías and street food vendors proudly serve Jarritos alongside tacos, burritos, and tortas.
Social media has further amplified its cult status, with fans sharing vibrant bottle photos and creative
pairings while chanting “Jarritos, Respect The Taco!”
This year, Jarritos celebrates its 75th anniversary, and one message echoes above all: gracias. The Novamex team are thanking everyone who has embraced the brand – teenagers to abuelas, longtime fans to new ones –, from Mexico City to Chicago to Seoul, for helping take Jarritos worldwide. Thanks to Jarritos’ diverse consumers, the brand is a global hit.
Today, Jarritos can be found in over 45 countries and has teamed up with brands like Nike, La Michoacana, Canel’s candies, Salud Drink Mix, and Native for everything from frozen treats to personal care products. New product lines joined the soft drink portfolio — Mineragua, Jarriboba, Jarritos Zero, Jarritos Coconut Water — showing the brand’s commitment to evolving without losing its soul.
Even in the world of fashion and beauty, Jarritos has made its mark. Brands have featured the soda as an accessory, like nail polish shades, using Jarritos’ bold colors to infuse products with a playful and authentic dose of Mexican culture.
A Toast to Legacy, One Bottle at a Time
Jarritos was never meant to be a drink only for Mexico. It was meant to be shared with the world. No doubt, fans around the globe reach for Jarritos for its taste and for the feeling it evokes: a connection to something real, rooted, and enduring.
For 75 years, Jarritos has been a symbol of authenticity, the embodiment of Mexican ingenuity, and an unshakable tribute to tradition. In that way, it reflects Mexico’s most cherished, time-honored values. Those values guide Jarritos, a drink without borders, “flavored by culture”, and proudly made to last.
What started as a small experiment in Hill’s family dining room is now a symbol of Mexican heritage and cultural pride, with a global connection. With plans to preserve the founder’s notebooks, digitize early 16mm footage, and continue philanthropic work through the Rosario Campos de Fernández Foundation, the future looks just as flavorful.
Francisco Hill passed away in 2003, but his sons say his spirit still lives on in every bottle. “I think he’d love to see that we’ve kept the logo and the bottle,” his son, Francisco Hill, says. “My father would be happy to see that we’ve honored his legacy by maintaining the quality of the flavors.”
And, as his sons explain, the original recipes still define the brand, even as Jarritos travels farther than anyone, including Francisco, might have imagined.
“Every trip, every photo we get from places like Dubai, Sydney, Stockholm, Seoul, for example, makes us think of my dad and how proud he would be to see Jarritos in so many countries,” Carlos says. “My father never imagined Jarritos would go this far.”
This year, as Jarritos raises a glass to 75 years, Novamex thanks everyone who has embraced the brand — from teenagers to abuelas, from longtime fans to first-time sippers — for helping take Jarritos from Mexico City to the world. And we, here at Nuestro Stories, in turn, raise our own bottles to them. Here’s to Don Francisco “El Güero” Hill’s vision, to Novamex’s devotion, and to the joyful flavors that connect us all.
¡Salud!
This story was produced by Nuestro Stories in partnership with Jarritos. Content was developed by the Nuestro Stories editorial team, reflecting our mission to celebrate and elevate Latino heritage.
