Pueblo Viejo Paloma Recipe
Paloma Recipe
The Paloma — not the Margarita — is the cocktail Mexico actually drinks. Built fresh, on a clean blanco like Pueblo Viejo, it's the sharpest tequila long drink there is.
Ingredients
- Pueblo Viejo Tequila Blanco60 ml
- Fresh pink grapefruit juice60 ml
- Fresh lime juice15 ml
- Giffard Agave syrup10 ml
- Soda water (or grapefruit soda for the traditional version)60 ml
- Garnish: salt rim and grapefruit wedge—
Method
- Rub a grapefruit wedge around the rim of a Highball glass and dip half the rim in flaky sea salt.
- Fill the glass with cubed ice.
- Add Pueblo Viejo Blanco, fresh grapefruit juice, lime juice and agave syrup.
- Top with soda water and stir gently with a bar spoon — once, top to bottom.
- Garnish with a fresh grapefruit wedge on the rim.
Garnish: Half salt rim, grapefruit wedge
Why this works
The Paloma — Spanish for "dove" — is what Mexicans actually drink. The Margarita is for tourists; the Paloma is for Tuesday. The traditional Mexican build mixes blanco tequila with grapefruit soda (Squirt or Jarritos), but the modern bar-quality version replaces the bottled soda with fresh-pressed pink grapefruit juice, a touch of lime for acidity and agave syrup for sweetness.
Pueblo Viejo is made by Casa San Matías, founded in 1886 in the highlands of Jalisco. The blanco is a clean, peppery tequila with bright agave character and zero rest in wood — exactly what you want under fresh citrus. The agave syrup at the build is non-negotiable: sugar syrup tastes wrong here because it's a different sugar.
Bartender tips
Always fresh-press the grapefruit. Bottled grapefruit juice is too bitter and too low in acid. Pink grapefruit is sweeter and rounder than yellow; ruby is sweeter still. Salt the rim before you fill the glass, not after. For a traditional build, swap the soda water for 90 ml of Jarritos grapefruit soda and skip the agave syrup — the soda brings its own sweetness.
Featured products
Pueblo Viejo Tequila Blanco
Highlands of Jalisco. Clean, peppery, made by Casa San Matías. The textbook Paloma base.
Shop the bottlePueblo Viejo Reposado
Same producer, six months in American oak. Drink the Paloma with this when you want a softer, slightly toasted spin.
Shop the bottleGiffard Agave Syrup
The right sweetener for any agave-based cocktail. Same sugar family — works in solution, doesn't fight the spirit.
Shop the bottleFAQ
Can I use yellow grapefruit?
Yes — it's sharper and more bitter. You'll want to add 2 to 3 ml more agave syrup to compensate. Ruby grapefruit needs less sugar.
What's the difference between a Paloma and a Margarita?
A Margarita is shaken, citrus-forward and served short (no soda). A Paloma is built in the glass, longer, with grapefruit instead of orange liqueur.
Should I use grapefruit soda or fresh juice?
Traditional Mexican Paloma uses bottled grapefruit soda. Bar-quality version uses fresh juice plus soda water plus agave syrup. Both are legitimate — choose by mood.
Can I make this with reposado tequila?
Yes — the toasted oak character adds depth. Drop the agave syrup down to 5 ml to compensate for the rounder spirit.