The Paloma — Mexico’s Favorite Tequila Cocktail

In this week’s episode of Into the Barchive, Blake and Tim head south of the Margarita to explore Mexico’s true everyday tequila cocktail: the Paloma.While Americans often reach first for a Margarita, the Paloma is the drink many people across Mexico know and love. It is simple, refreshing, lower ABV, and deeply tied to everyday drinking culture rather than a glamorous origin story or famous bartender.This episode features two takes on the cocktail: a classic Paloma built in the glass with Blanco tequila, lime, saline, and Mexican Squirt, and a fresh juice Paloma that treats the drink with the same craft-cocktail attention often given to the Margarita. Blake and Tim break down why grapefruit works so well with tequila, why Blanco is the best choice for this drink, how lime adds needed acidity, and why a few drops of saline can make the whole cocktail pop.They also dig into the Paloma’s likely mid-century Mexican roots, the rise of grapefruit soda, the role of Squirt in popularizing tequila-and-grapefruit serves, and how the drink became a staple of backyard gatherings, street food culture, and modern cocktail menus.Whether you prefer the easy tequila-and-grapefruit-soda version or a shaken build with fresh juice and sparkling water, this episode shows why the Paloma deserves its place as one of the world’s most refreshing tequila cocktails.