The Tommy’s Paloma: A Complete History & Classic Recipe

There’s a moment in every great cocktail’s life when it moves from something you order to something you remember. The Tommy’s Paloma is exactly that kind of drink—a sun-soaked reinvention of Mexico’s most beloved highball, built on fresh citrus, clean agave character, and a modern ethos of honest, unfussy ingredients. Born from the same lineage that redefined the Margarita for an entire generation, the Tommy’s Paloma bridges heritage and innovation, giving new life to a drink rooted in the cantinas and coastal towns of Jalisco.

Bright, refreshing, and quietly radical, the Tommy’s Paloma invites us to consider not just how we drink tequila, but why its simplest expressions are often its most meaningful. This is a story of craft, of cultural memory, and of a drink that earned its identity by returning to the fundamentals of Mexican flavor.

I. Origins

The Paloma, in its earliest and most authentic form, is the unofficial national highball of Mexico—refreshing, grapefruit-driven, and effortlessly simple. While the Margarita often steals international spotlight, the Paloma has always been the everyday favorite across Jalisco: tequila, lime, and grapefruit soda over ice.

But the Tommy’s Paloma? That is a much more recent chapter—one that begins in San Francisco in the 1990s.

The Tommy’s Lineage

The story starts at Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant, a beloved family-run institution opened in 1965 in the Richmond District of San Francisco. Its second-generation steward, Julio Bermejo, would go on to revolutionize tequila culture globally. His signature creation, the Tommy’s Margarita, broke from tradition by replacing orange liqueur with pure agave syrup—a move that foregrounded tequila’s terroir and modernized the cocktail for contemporary tastes.

It wasn’t long before that philosophy spread from the Margarita to other citrus-forward tequila classics. And so the Tommy’s Paloma was born:

• No mass-market soda

• No artificial sweeteners

• Fresh citrus

• Real agave syrup

• High-quality tequila at the center of the glass

Just as the Tommy’s Margarita redefined a global classic, the Tommy’s Paloma elevated Mexico’s effortless highball into a craft-forward drink without losing its soul.

II. Historical Evolution

To understand the Tommy’s Paloma, you first need to understand the original Paloma’s evolution.

The Traditional Mexican Paloma

Its roots lie in mid-century Mexico, where grapefruit soda brands like Squirt and Fresca became widespread. Bartenders realized these sodas paired beautifully with tequila's earthy, peppery brightness. The Paloma emerged organically—no single inventor, just a drink shaped by taste and necessity.

This first generation Paloma offered:

• Sweet-tart grapefruit soda

• A squeeze of lime

• Tequila

• A salted rim in many regions

It was light, fizzy, and made for warm afternoons—a working-class drink, not a cocktail-bar creation.

The Craft Reinterpretation

By the late 20th century, the rise of artisanal tequila and evolving cocktail culture led bartenders to revisit this humble highball. The problem? Grapefruit soda varied wildly in quality and sweetness, especially outside Mexico.

Enter the Tommy’s ethos: if the ingredient doesn’t honor agave, it doesn’t belong.

Enter the Tommy’s Paloma

Instead of soda, it uses freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice.Instead of refined sugar or soda sweeteners, it uses organic agave syrup.Instead of a blanket of carbonation, it introduces sparkling water as a clean, customizable effervescence.

This shift produced a Paloma that was not only more craft-forward and flexible, but also more expressive of tequila’s nuances. Bartenders embraced it, tequila educators championed it, and cocktail historians recognized it as the natural evolution of the drink for a globalized palate.

III. Ingredients & Technique

A Tommy’s Paloma is built on clarity: each ingredient is chosen to showcase agave’s natural elegance.

Tequila

The soul of the drink.

• 100% agave blanco tequila is traditional for its bright, vegetal, and citrus-adjacent notes.

• Reposado can be used for a richer, honeyed profile, though this shifts the drink’s lightness.

Grapefruit

Fresh juice is non-negotiable.A Tommy’s Paloma uses:

• Fresh white or ruby grapefruit juice (strained)

• Optional small splash of fresh lime for structural acidity

Sweetener

• Light agave syrup, typically diluted 1:1 to improve blendability

• Avoid darker, caramelized agave syrups, as they can overpower the citrus

Carbonation

• Sparkling water brings lift without altering flavor

• Bartenders often choose high-quality brands with crisp mineral character

Salt

The salted rim is optional—but when done lightly, it enhances the grapefruit’s tartness and rounds the agave’s grassy edges.

Balance & Technique

A true Tommy’s Paloma isn’t shaken aggressively. It’s a gentle build: stir, fizz, top, enjoy.

IV. Cultural Significance

The Tommy’s Paloma represents more than a recipe—it's a cultural bridge between two worlds.

A Highball Made Global

The classic Mexican Paloma is a drink of the people—refreshing, inexpensive, ubiquitous. The Tommy’s variation helped introduce the drink to craft cocktail bars worldwide, offering a version that didn’t require importing Mexican soda and worked beautifully with premium tequilas.

Preservation Through Reinvention

Julio Bermejo’s work at Tommy’s not only modernized cocktails but also protected tequila heritage. By emphasizing 100% agave spirits and natural ingredients, the Tommy’s philosophy helped shift global perceptions of tequila from party shot to agricultural spirit with terroir, history, and dignity.

A New Identity

The Tommy’s Paloma occupies an interesting cultural space:

• It’s not the “authentic” Jaliscan soda-based Paloma.

• It’s not an American reinterpretation that overwrites tradition.

• Instead, it’s a respectful craft update that honors both the drink’s origins and tequila’s heritage.

It invites us to appreciate the Paloma’s simplicity while also engaging with the deep agricultural and cultural roots of agave.

V. How to Make the Classic Version Today

This recipe is the modern industry standard: balanced, crisp, and deeply expressive of tequila’s natural character.

Recipe — The Classic Tommy’s Paloma

Ingredients

• 2 oz (60 ml) blanco tequila, 100% agave

• 1 oz (30 ml) fresh grapefruit juice

• 0.75 oz (22 ml) light agave syrup (1:1 diluted)

• 0.25 oz (7 ml) fresh lime juice (optional but common)

• Sparkling water, to top

• Pinch of salt (optional, or use a light salted rim)

Method

1. Add tequila, grapefruit juice, agave syrup, and lime juice to a chilled highball glass.

2. Add ice and stir briefly to incorporate.

3. Top with cold sparkling water.

4. Add a gentle lift with a bar spoon; do not over-stir.

5. Garnish and serve immediately.

Specs

• Glass: Highball or Collins

• Ice: Cubes (large, clear if possible)

• Garnish: Grapefruit wedge or expressed peel

• Style: Light, citrus-forward tequila highball

Technique Notes

• Fresh grapefruit varies in sweetness; adjust agave slightly to taste.

• For deeper flavor, add a micro-grating of grapefruit zest directly into the glass.

• Avoid shaking with sparkling water—build in glass for ideal texture.

Variations & Lineage

• Tommy’s Spicy Paloma: Add muddled jalapeño or a chile tincture.

• Mezcal Paloma: Substitute 0.5–1 oz of tequila with joven mezcal.

• Light Paloma: Increase sparkling water for a more sessionable drink.

• Ranch Water Kin: For a drier flavor profile, reduce agave and increase lime.

Service & Pairing Tip

• Pairs beautifully with ceviche, grilled shrimp, spicy esquites, or anything featuring charred citrus or chili.

• Ideal for warm-weather service, late afternoons, or a tequila-based brunch menu.

VI. Modern Variations & Legacy

Today, the Tommy’s Paloma sits comfortably alongside its older cousin, the original Mexican Paloma. It hasn’t replaced it—nor should it—but it has opened the door for global appreciation of tequila-based highballs.

Contemporary Trends

• Bartender riffs feature everything from saline solutions to clarified juices.

• Zero-proof versions use grapefruit, agave, and non-alcoholic agave distillates.

• Restaurant programs celebrate it as the premium, “house-made soda” version of the Paloma.

• Cocktail competitions often feature Paloma variations as expressions of agave craft.

The Legacy

What makes the Tommy’s Paloma special is not only its flavor but its philosophy: simple, real ingredients that let tequila shine. In a world of overly complicated cocktail reinventions, the Tommy’s Paloma remains a reminder that progress doesn’t have to be elaborate. Sometimes all you need is freshness, balance, and respect for the spirit.