Top 3 Tequilas Bartenders Make Palomas With at the World’s Best Bars in 2025

Move over, margaritas, it’s time for tequila’s other cocktail to have a moment in the sun. This grapefruit-driven tequila drink has been a staple south of the border for almost a decade, according to Tales of the Cocktail.

With its refreshing combination of tequila, grapefruit-flavored soda and lime juice, there’s a lot to love about Palomas, and this highball outranked the Margarita as the preferred cocktail in its country of origin, Mexico a little over 10 years ago. It appears the Paloma secret is out, and other countries are getting in on the trend.

People worldwide are discovering this cocktail’s magic in all of its grapefruit glory. But what kind of tequila are bartenders using to make the perfect Paloma?

Drinks International asked some of the bartenders slinging drinks at world’s best bars to check out which tequilas were ordered the most for this cocktail, and here’s what they found:

3 Most Popular Tequilas Used in a Paloma

3. Olmeca Altos

(Photo: Olmeca Altos)

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One could refer to Olmeca Altos as the bartender’s tequila, considering it was founded by bartenders Henry Besant and Dre Masso. Masso and Besant both had hefty resumés and racked up wins within the bartending competition circuit. Eventually, the duo decided to visit Los Altos in Jalisco, México where they would go on to met Jesús Hernandez, a Maestro Tequilero who partnered with the group to make the perfect bartender’s tequila.

Olmeca Altos’ portfolio is sourced exclusively from Blue Agave grown within the highlands of Los Altos, Jalisco, Mexico. The brand implements traditional brick ovens and distills its tequilas on copper stills. It ages its reposados in ex-bourbon barrels. The brand features a blanco, reposado, añejo and two ready-to-serve expressions: a strawberry and regular margarita.

Bartenders making Palomas will want to use Olmeca Altos’ Plata Tequila, which clocks in at 40% ABV and has a citrus-driven nose with some brine, according to Distiller. The palate features lime and a grassy throughline. Olmeca Altos has an average price of $30, according to Wine-Searcher.

2. Patrón

(Photo: Patron)

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Patrón’s story dates back to 1989, and it starts with two men: Martin Crowley and John Paul DeJoria. Crowley went on a business trip to Mexico, and DeJoria requested that he bring him back some tequila. During his travels, Crowly found a hand-blown bottle in Mexico and had an idea. Upon his return, he pitched to DeJoria that they try to make the “world’s best tequila.” Crowley designed the first label, and they sold 12,000 bottles at $37 a pop. In 2018, DeJoria sold his 70% stake to Bacardi.

Patrón’s diverse family of tequilas includes four flagship expressions: a blanco, a reposado, an añejo and an extra añejo. The brand released a cristalino expression in July 2024. It has several luxury high-end expressions: El Alto, El Cielo, Platinum, Piedra, Burdedos, Xo Café and other limited edition expressions.

This tequila brand recommends using its Reposado for a Paloma.  Amanda Schuster of Distiller was partial to the tequila’s nose of grapefruit zest, rich vanilla and white florals in her review She cited citrus as the driver here, and the finish is salty — making it perfect for a Paloma. The 40% ABV tequila has a suggested retail price of $56, according to Wine-Searcher.

1. Don Julio

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The No. 1 tequila used in a Paloma at the world’s best bars in 2025 is Don Julio. The brand’s origins date back to 1942, when none other than Don Julio took out a loan from a businessman to build his tequila business which would later become an empire. The tequila brand says Don Julio did not treat his agave plants as just a crop. Rather, he “considered them his children.” The agave fields sit 6,500 feet above sea level within the Jaliscan Highlands, and thrive in volcanic soil.

Don Julio’s portfolio has a rich tapestry of tequilas, ranging from blanco, reposado, añejo, rosado, cristalino, alma miel, 1942 and primavera expressions. The brand recommends using its reposado in a Paloma, and the tequila was aged for eight months in American white-oak barrels. The 40% ABV tequila has an average price of $56 according to Wine-Searcher.

Drinkhacker’s Christopher Null was particularly partial to this lighter-styled reposado, with orange peel and caramel aromas. The palate is full of brown sugar and a kick of red pepper.