In the age of experimental flavors, obscure ingredients, and elaborate presentations, the elegant simplicity of the Paloma is demure.

The exact details of its origin are disputed, but most agree the recipe gained popularity in the 1950s at Jalisco’s bare-bones watering hole La Capilla. Traditionally made with tequila, lime juice, and a splash of Squirt grapefruit soda, the highball is beloved by bartenders for its distinctly unfussy nature. While its conception is still in question, the Paloma’s newfound popularity beyond the borders of Mexico—from the toniest haunts in Mayfair to Ibiza’s chiringuitos to rooftop bars in L.A.—is undeniable. Anointed the “Cocktail of Summer” several years running, Maestro Dobel Tequila put their own stamp on the recipe.  

Surface teamed up with the tequila brand to showcase its Ace Paloma cocktail in a new light—swapping its traditional highball glass for more eccentric vessels. Through this lens, the drink’s signature black lava salt adds drama to whimsical silhouettes from designers like Sophie Lou Jacobsen, Roman and Williams Guild, and more. When ornamented on the brim of Reflections Copenhagen’s Art Deco–style crystal, grapefruit wedges are recast as sculptural gemstones. 

Maestro Dobel Diamante, an oak-aged tequila filtered with charcoal called Cristalino—a technique the brand pioneered—anchors the Ace Paloma with an aromatic infusion of honey, toasted wood, vanilla, and for a flavor profile unlike any other.

Credits

Photography: Isa Zapata
Drinks Styling: Jessie YuChen
Lighting and Production: Wayne Francis
Drinks Assistant: Molly Bhuiyan
Prop Styling: Alexandra Massilon
Market Editor: Jenna Adrian-Diaz
Studio: Shio Studio