Our Very Favorite, Very Best Paloma Cocktail Recipe!
While the most simple paloma recipe—grapefruit soda with tequila—is classic and rustic and pretty glorious in its own right, we cannot resist a little upgrade. And honestly, while that pared down soda-and-tequila situation may taste downright transcendent on a lazy beach in Mexico, you might find that it lacks a bit of magic once you leave those lovely tropical climes. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make a paloma at home! You’ll just have to put in a little extra effort to make it taste truly fab. Fresh squeezed grapefruit juice adds the lightness and freshness that this simple cocktail needs, without overcomplicating things. We give you—our favorite paloma with grapefruit juice! A long, tall sipper to cool your hottest summer days and steamiest summer nights.
What Is the Difference Between a Margarita and a Paloma?
And, one asks gingerly, is a paloma better than a margarita? What a question! OK, first of all—this is a really good question! Palomas and margaritas are like cousins. Hailing from Mexico, both drinks are beachy, icy and refreshing. They call to mind long lazy ocean-side afternoons and they’re both made with lots of citrus and blanco tequila! But, that’s where things start diverging. Here’s an easy way to think about the two drinks:
Margarita = tequila + lime juice + triple sec
Paloma = tequila + lime juice + grapefruit soda + grapefruit juice
What Tequila Is Best for a Paloma?
Refreshing and light by nature, you might not be surprised to find that the paloma is made with blanco tequila, which is itself light and refreshing (though yes, also quite boozy!). As ever, you don’t want to make a cocktail with tequila that you wouldn’t happily sip straight, but you also don’t need to use the fancy fanciest! You’re going to mix it with some powerful flavors, so just use something good, but not top-shelf. A few trust brands that we always reach for when mixing up a round or two of palomas are:
Espolòn
Don Julio
Cazadores
Herradura
Olmeca Altos
How To Make A Perfect Paloma
Likely created in the 1950s, this cocktail is so simple its hard to assign it a true origin story—people have probably been mixing tequila and grapefruit soda together since, well, since grapefruit soda was invented! Because they’re a terrific combo! Here’s how to make a truly magical paloma cocktail:
Salt the rim of your favorite cocktail class! This drink is classified as a highball, which means a long, tall glass is the classic choice. However, you can feel free to serve it up in whatever glass you like best!
Squeeze all your citrus. Squeeze it up! You should now be surrounded by intensely excellent aromas.
Grab your shaker! Shake up the tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, ice and bitters!
Strain into an ice-filled glass (the salt-rimmed one) and top it off with the grapefruit soda of your choice! Both Squirt (yes, Squirt!) and Jarritos are classic picks. Garnish and...
Sip!
Tools You’ll Need
More Easy Summer Cocktail Recipes to Try
Cheers to Summer!
Palomas won’t keep you hydrated, but they do make for some mighty good porch sitting! Take this recipe for a spin and let us know how you like it! Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!
