Updated April 2026.
The IBA Paloma is 50 ml 100% agave tequila, 5 ml fresh lime, a pinch of salt, and 100 ml pink grapefruit soda. That 50 ml of 40% tequila is about 1.13 NIAAA standard drinks. “Best tequila” is a 100% agave blanco that still tastes like agave after soda — not a 2023 top-10 tasting. Mixto gold plus soda is a different drink.
Reposado works; it is not the IBA class. Related: margarita tequila, blanco, tequila types.
What the highball actually needs
| Job | Typical bottles | Why |
|---|---|---|
| IBA 100% agave blanco | Olmeca Altos, Espolòn, Herradura Silver, Milagro Silver | Distribution, not scores. NOM on the back |
| Reposado Paloma | Same houses’ reposado | Legal. Oak + grapefruit is a different drink |
| Skip | Mixto gold / “gold tequila” grocery | Not the IBA 100% agave line |
Four IBA Palomas at 40% are about 4.5 drinks from the tequila. Grapefruit soda is not extra ethanol (unless it is a malt soda — read that can). NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target. Pour math: tequila drinks.
Sources
- IBA Paloma (fetched 2026): 50 ml 100% agave tequila, 5 ml lime, pinch of salt, 100 ml pink grapefruit soda.
- CRT 100% agave vs mixto; 27 CFR 5.148. NIAAA (December 2025). No invented ranking.