The Paloma outsells the Margarita in Mexico, and once you try one, the reason is obvious. Where a Margarita leans into citrus and salt, the Paloma brings grapefruit soda into the mix for something lighter, more effervescent, and easier to drink on a hot afternoon. It’s the kind of cocktail that doesn’t demand your attention but keeps you reaching for the glass.

The grapefruit soda question

Jarritos Toronja is the traditional choice and brings a real grapefruit flavor with moderate sweetness. Squirt works well too, with a slightly more tart profile. Fresca is an option if you want to cut the sugar entirely. Each one shifts the drink in a different direction, so the Paloma you make at home can taste different every time depending on what you stock.

If you want to go a step further, use fresh grapefruit juice topped with sparkling water instead of soda. You lose some of the sweetness but gain a sharper, more cocktail-bar version of the drink. Add a quarter ounce of agave syrup to compensate if the juice is too tart on its own.

Building the right rim

A salt rim is traditional on a Paloma, but only do half the glass. Run a lime wedge around one side of the rim, then dip that half into flaky sea salt or Tajin. This gives every sip a choice: salt or no salt. It’s a small detail that makes the drink feel more considered.

The tequila alternative

Lyre’s Agave Blanco adds herbal and pepper notes that sit naturally next to grapefruit. It plays the same structural role that blanco tequila does in the original, giving the drink a dry backbone so it doesn’t taste like straight soda. For a slightly different take, try pairing the same spirit with a Margarita or a Tequila Sunrise to see how one bottle can anchor three different drinks.