Smoky Paloma: Hot Tea and Tequila

What Sets This Smoky Paloma Apart from Every Other Variation

Unlike most cocktails, the Smoky Paloma isn’t something you can throw together in minutes. The lapsang souchong tea needs to be infused ahead of time before it finds its way into the glass, and it’s precisely this additional step that gives the drink its edge, producing a flavour profile unlike anything else in the Paloma family.

The smokiness itself comes from lapsang souchong, a centuries-old Chinese black tea celebrated for its naturally deep, smoky character. A staple in both mixology and gastronomy, this tea brings a rich, smoky depth to cocktails without any artificial intervention. What you end up with is a bold, multi-layered smoky paloma recipe that transforms the classic into something altogether more complex and worth remembering. For anyone curious about smoky tequila cocktails, this is the combination that truly delivers.

How to Infuse the Tea for Your Cocktail

You will need:

• 250 g | Grapefruit Peels
• 10 g | Lapsang Souchong Tea Leaves
• 1 kg | Sugar
• 250 ml | Water

To prepare the Lapsang Oleo, a blend of tea, sugar, and grapefruit, follow these steps:

1. Peel the grapefruits and set the skins aside.
2. Juice the peeled grapefruits for use in the cocktail itself.
3. Thoroughly combine the sugar and tea leaves, then fold them into the grapefruit peels.
4. Leave the mixture to infuse overnight, ideally for a full 24 hours.
5. Steep the tea leaves separately in water for one minute.
6. Add the steeped water to the grapefruit mixture and stir until the sugar has fully dissolved.
7. Pass the mixture through a strainer to remove the grapefruit peels.
8. Transfer to a bottle and keep refrigerated. Best used within 10 days.

If this smoky paloma recipe has sparked your curiosity, there’s a whole world of cocktails still waiting to be explored. Olmeca Altos brings together an extensive range of recipes, from timeless serves to inventive, contemporary twists like this one, crafted to suit every palate and occasion.

Discover new ways to enjoy an Olmeca tequila, whether you’re drawn to citrus-led combinations, smoky tequila profiles, or distinctive creations rooted in modern mixology. Browse our full collection of Altos Recipes and beyond, and find the cocktail that becomes your new go-to.

Try the Smoky, the Spicy, or Our Crafted Paloma

Why not venture into the smoky depths of an altos paloma, a genuinely rare take on a much-loved classic? You can also explore the secrets behind a perfectly made traditional Paloma and its fiery, spicy counterpart:

Can You Use a Different Tea to Make This Tequila Cocktail?

Other teas with a similarly smoky character to Lapsang Souchong can, in principle, be used to craft a smoky paloma, though the result will likely taste quite different. Lapsang Souchong has an unusually bold and distinctive smokiness that few teas can genuinely replicate, making it rather difficult to find a like-for-like substitute.

That said, if you can get your hands on it, using Lapsang Souchong to make our version of this hot tea and tequila cocktail is absolutely worth the effort.

Olmeca Altos and Lapsang Souchong: A Cocktail Like No Other

This is no ordinary Paloma. It takes time, it demands specific ingredients, and it simply cannot be made to its full potential with just any tequila. A smoky tequila cocktail of this calibre deserves a spirit of equal standing, and that’s precisely where Olmeca Altos Tequila comes in. Crafted in Jalisco, Mexico, from 100% Blue Agave, Altos Reposado brings the depth and quality this drink calls for. You won’t be disappointed.