8 Best Sodas To Pair With Tequila

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Tequila is a complicated spirit that many drinkers either adore or despise. But writing off all tequila is like eliminating cheese from your diet just because you're not a fan of blue cheese. Each tequila variety introduces something different to the palate. We have clean, crisp blancos, smooth reposados, and rich añejos to choose from, and each one can be transformed with a splash of soda. 

As a bartender and a big fan of tequila, I enjoy sipping the spirit neat, but I can appreciate a bubbly finish and will occasionally add soda water to my drink. If you're after flavor, though, you may want to try adding a soda instead. To get some insight on how to pair the rich flavor of the spirit with soda, I spoke with three experts who work with agave spirits on the daily: Skyler Gamble, director of operations at Acme Hospitality; Lucas Huff, U.S. spirits ambassador for Foley Family Wines & Spirits; and Alexander Haynes, director of food and beverage at Canopy by Hilton San Antonio Riverwalk.

After lime, grapefruit is tequila's greatest confidant. It's the leading flavor in a zesty Paloma, and really brings out agave's natural flavors. Many mixologists use a mix of fresh grapefruit juice and sparkling water, but using a grapefruit soda like Jarritos or Squirt will give your Paloma a lighter feel. "We reach for grapefruit soda first because it mirrors that crisp, citrus-forward profile we build into a lot of our cocktails," says Skyler Gamble, director of operations at Acme Hospitality.

Lucas Huff, U.S. spirits ambassador for Foley Family Wines & Spirits, is team grapefruit soda as well. When asked what pairs best with a blanco, he was quick to vote for grapefruit soda. "It isn't too sweet and complements high-quality, additive-free tequila nicely," he shared. Grapefruit soda stands out for blending seamlessly with each tequila variety, but the pairing works especially well with a blanco, which mirrors the flavor of the tangy soda. Grapefruit soda can also add contrast to a reposado, as its brightness highlights the vanilla and soft oakiness, and lift the otherwise heavy flavors of an añejo. If you're looking for something juicy and tart to reinvent your tequila, this is it.

Ginger-based sodas give tequila a spicy, earthy flavor, complementing the spirit's peppery mouthfeel. They're sleeper hits with aged tequila, especially in reposado and añejo drinks, as the ginger dovetails naturally with oak, vanilla, and caramel. Alexander Haynes, director of food and beverage at Canopy by Hilton San Antonio Riverwalk, praises ginger beer as an underrated pairing across the board; it's perfect for drinkers looking to add some spark to their agave cocktails.

Skyler Gamble is right there with him, voting ginger beer for añejo pours as well. "Añejo drinks almost like a whiskey, so pairing it with ginger beer or a premium cola creates this decadent, dessert-adjacent highball we love to recommend after dinner," he says. For a reposado, he recommends ginger ale rather than ginger beer. "The ginger softens any sharp edges while letting the spirit's softer side shine through. Nine times out of ten, it's the drink that turns skeptics into fans," he says.

Other than the thin glass bottle, Mexican cola might not look too different from American Coca-Cola, but it's all in the details. Mexican colas, like the beloved Jarritos or classic Coca-Cola, are strictly sweetened with sugar cane instead of corn syrup. The pure cane sugar gives the soda an entirely different flavor profile that makes it hard to return to American colas. "Mexican cola has a brightness that American colas don't and it works beautifully with reposado," Skyler Gamble says.

Cola's molasses-like depth highlights the caramel undertones of aged tequila. Lucas Huff shares that cola is among the best options for bringing out reposado's oak-kissed spices. It's bold enough to match the spirit's body without masking the agave. 

Alexander Haynes recommends Mexican Coke specifically for añejo. "Longer-aged spirits should be paired with sodas that also exude a strong flavor, rather than club soda," he says. Think of this as the agave-driven version of a whiskey and Coke. Mexican cola brings out tequila's deeper personality, making a 1-to-1 drink surprisingly complex.

Tamarind soda may be one of the most overlooked tequila mixers yet, but it is the perfect companion to the agave spirit. The sweet, tangy fruit, found in Northern Africa and Asia, has nearly as many layers as tequila, with surprising notes of earthy caramel that harmonize with tequila's natural vegetal undertones. Lucas Huff nominates tamarind soda — specifically Jarritos — as a mixer for tequila.

Its subtle sourness brings out the brightness in blanco, and it offers reposado an almost spiced quality with tropical undercurrents. The key to finding tequila's perfect match is not to overwhelm the true agave character. Tamarind soda provides brightness, and its mellow sweetness avoids the syrupy heaviness that some of the experts cautioned against. 

In addition to tamarind, Lucas Huff appreciates a juicy pineapple soda with his tequila. "A combination of pineapple soda and reposado tequila, with a squeeze of lime, is one of my absolute favorite universally appealing combos," he says. 

Despite never really making it to the big leagues alongside orange and grape soda, fizzy pineapple soda is adored all over the world. The tropical sweetness makes it a bright companion for citrus-driven blanco tequilas like Don Fulano and Lalo. The fruity pineapple awakens the agave rather than masking it, keeping the drink vibrant. The fruit's richness also complements reposado by drawing out the warm barrel notes to almost mimic a juicy, light rum cocktail. Pineapple soda and tequila feel exquisitely summer, tropical, and playful.

Orange soda is a nostalgic favorite, but blood orange soda is in a league of its own. It offers a deeper, more aromatic citrus profile compared to others on this list. There's a slight bitterness that's smoothed out by the floral notes, and somehow it all works perfectly with an aged tequila. The soda's natural complexity means it doesn't get overshadowed; instead, it highlights tequila's aged character while bringing its own subtle spice. "Even a lightly spiced blood orange soda can make those aged notes feel more expressive," he says. 

When mixed with a blanco, blood orange soda creates a cocktail with more dimension than your typical lemon lime highball. Its tartness emphasizes tequila's herbal side, delivering a slightly more expressive cocktail. If you're not whipping up your own homemade soda, San Pellegrino and A'Siciliana are great brands to explore.

Citrus sodas are reliable crowd-pleasers, and they're an excellent pairing for tequila, too. Lemon-lime sodas, like Sprite and Mello Yello, dominate the citrus soda market, but there are even more varieties worth exploring. Skyler Gamble pairs yuzu soda with blanco, while Alexander Haynes uses Squirt, a citrusy grapefruit soda, in Palomas. 

Haynes is also partial to citrusy selections from Jarritos. "[I] prefer Jarritos, which is less carbonated but full of flavor," he says. He especially likes to mix Jarritos' citrus sodas with reposado, noting how well the zesty flavors pair with reposado's warm oak and vanilla flavors. Lemon-lime-leaning sodas amplify blanco's brightness and cut some of añejo's sweetness, keeping it from veering too close to dessert.

Gamble pays attention to his citrus soda labels as well and praises clean-tasting, high-quality brands. "For citrus sodas, [I] prefer brands that use real juice and keep the sweetness in check. Anything overly syrupy just muddies the tequila," he says.

Last but not least, we have the star of the bar: Topo Chico. Those who aren't familiar with the sparkling beverage might assume it's just your average bubbly water, but it's much more special. The Mexican brand has been bottling sparkling mineral water for over a century, and that slight minerality makes all the difference in a tequila cocktail. It's not only one of the best tequila mixers, but also one of the best sparkling waters in general.

When it comes to the all-time best soda for tequila, Topo Chico is a resounding winner. "Topo Chico pairs best with blanco tequila because it's clean and crisp, and nice and bubbly," Alexander Haynes says. Lucas Huff agrees. "This may be obvious, but Topo Chico is essential; it's all about the bubbles," he says. It's nothing more than mineral water and carbon dioxide, and you can taste its purity. Purists may stick to plain Topo Chico and tequila, but the brand's twist-of-lime variety is also worth considering; it adds just enough citrus to brighten the tequila.