Paloma Recipe: Our Crafted Version
Frost your glass rim with salt (optional): Pour some salt in a shallow bowl or small plate. Run a lime wedge around the edge of the glass. Gently dip the outside of the rim in the salt to coat. Shake off the excess. Mix tequila, lime/lemon juice and sweetener: You can adjust your Paloma alcohol strength by adding a sweetener. If you're working to reduce your sugar intake instead, you can always leave it. Add ice and top with grapefruit juice/soda: a Paloma is always better on the rocks. Garnish with lime or grapefruit slice: the cocktail is ready to enjoy!
Any tequilero knows how to fix a good margarita, but for Mexicans, this may not be their go-to tequila cocktail. In the homeland of tequila, the Paloma recipe is king. Born at the aptly named La Capilla (spanish for The Chapel) and prepared for the first time by legendary Don Javier Delgado, the Paloma drink has conquered many hearts over the years.
In the states, this Paloma Cocktail has always been living under the shadow of her most popular sister Margarita, but times are changing. Grapefruit, the distinctive ingredient of the drink, is one of the most harvested fruits in US soil; a real beauty about this drink is that if it’s too much of a hassle to get freshly squeezed juice, a good pink grapefruit soda like 3 Cents will more than do the trick.
Even world-renowned bartender Dré Masso approves: “Surprisingly, the Paloma is Mexico’s most popular cocktail, not the Margarita as I originally thought. Most of the time it is made with a canned or bottled fizzy drink which consists of grapefruit, lemon, sugar, and soda”.
The Paloma Cocktail brings together the bitter citrus flavor of grapefruit, the sweetness of agave syrup, lemon acid and a spicy and salty rim to give a true explosion of flavors. But enough talking, let’s fix ourselves some delicious Palomas.
Paloma Drink Recipe Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients you are going to need to prepare your awesome Paloma cocktail:
- Altos Plata
- Pink grapefruit juice
- Lemon juice
- Agave or simple syrup
- Optional garnishes: salt, lemon and grapefruit slices
The salt adds a distinctive flavor to the recipe, so we recommend adding it both to the glass and to the drink itself.
How to Make a Paloma Recipe With Tequila
The Paloma is an incredibly easy to make option for hot days or even social events. Follow these simple instructions to give yourself a gift!
- Prepare your glasses (optional): Pour salt into a small plate. Rim your glass(s) with water, lemon or grapefruit wedge, then roll in salt to coat.
- Mix the tequila, lemon juice and agave syrup: When well mixed, pour over a tall glass with ice. You can also mix these straight in the glass (it’s easier if you skip the sugar; less sweet but still delicious!).
- Top it off with pink grapefruit juice: Remember, you can always choose to make your Paloma with grapefruit juice and club soda instead.
- Garnish and enjoy!
How strong is the Paloma alcohol? How weak or strong your Paloma ends up largely depends on how much grapefruit juice you pour. Start with a small amount and gradually adjust to your liking.
Do you want to try an authentic classic tequila? Our easy Altos Paloma cocktail is perfect for celebrating a beautiful sunny afternoon, chilled evening or your next dinner party. Learn how to make it!
How to make this Paloma Cocktail
The base of any cocktail in the world is, obviously, the alcohol. To be able to enjoy a good drink, you need to choose properly. What type of tequila do you like? Silver, Reposado or Añejo? If you are new to the tequila label jargon, here is a brief distinction:
- Silver tequila, also Blanco, Plata or White never sees the inside of an oak barrel. It’s the purest expression of agave’s natural flavors. This strong profile is what makes silver tequila great in cocktails, as it can handle any mixer you throw at it.
- Reposado, also Rested or Aged, sits in the barrel for between two months and one year, allowing it to develop a unique profile.
- Añejo, on the other hand, stays in the barrel for one to three years. This extra time intensifies the flavor, notes and color, resulting in a richer taste.
For the perfect Paloma, we prefer to use a good quality Blanco tequila (100% agave).
Although the traditional recipe calls for grapefruit soda, many bartenders are increasingly opting for fresh grapefruit juice. It’s crisp and easy to make. If fresh is your thing, you can complement the fresh grapefruit juice with unflavored sparkling water for the bubbly effect.
Along with the grapefruit juice, it’s time to squeeze the fresh lemon juice. The lemon adds to Paloma’s tart profile. However, you can always add a sweetener, like agave or simple syrup, that can help you balance these tart notes.
We’re almost there! Some people like a salted rim, while others love having that extra bit of salt in the drink to brighten the flavor. If you want to skip this step, feel free to do so. The grapefruit and lemon slices are also optional, but make for an elegant garnish.
Variations for the Paloma Cocktail Recipe
Paloma is always a good option, but there’s plenty of possibilities when it comes to letting your imagination fly. Here’s some good ideas.
Strawberry Ginger Paloma
If you’re a strawberry fan, this easy Paloma recipe cocktail will become a favorite!
To make the refreshing cocktail:
- Squeeze fresh grapefruit juice into a large bowl
- Add the ginger beer, tequila and fresh strawberries
- Give the strawberries time to soak (ideally five minutes)
- Muddle the strawberries and pour the liquid into glasses with ice
- Alternatively, you can strain to remove fruit
- Garnish with strawberry slices, fresh rosemary, thyme, mint sprigs or lime slices.
Jolly Merry Holiday
This Jolly Merry cocktail makes the holiday season the most wonderful time. With just tequila, grapefruit juice and dry sparkling wine to top, you should have a delicious drink to put the holiday atmosphere on the table.
Sparkling Paloma
Discover this delicious sparkling version of our beloved Paloma recipe:
- 60ml Altos Plata Tequila
- 15ml Agave honey
- 15ml Lemon or lime juice
- 3 Cents Pink Grapefruit Soda
- A pinch of salt
Pour tequila, agave, lime juice and pink grapefruit soda in a highball. Stir to dissolve and top off with soda. Serve into glasses filled with ice, garnish and enjoy!
The secret to a great Paloma cocktail, or any tequila-based cocktail, is the quality of tequila. The Olmeca Altos tequila is 100% agave and distilled in small batches for the ultimate superiority in quality. As you’d imagine, 100% agave tastes so much better. Plus, Altos tequila is really affordable.
Others Cocktails that Might Interest You
Looking to spice up date night? We have the perfect drink for you: the Spicy Margarita Recipe.
Did you know that this is one of the most popular cocktails? Well it is! It’s a popular choice for people who want to add an extra zing to their night out. There are many different types of these drinks, but our favorite is made with tequila and fresh lime juice. Delicious!
Summer is here, and we are so excited to spend time with family and friends over delicious meals and great drinks!
Look at the Calories in this Paloma Recipe
Here are the total calories for this drink:
- 60 ml of Altos Plata: 128 calories
- 60 ml of Pink Grapefruit Juice: 24 calories
- 30 ml of Lemon Juice: 8 calories
- 15 ml of Agave Syrup: 43 calories
Therefore, the approximate total calories in this Paloma recipe would be around 203 calories. Please note that this is only an approximate calculation and actual values may vary depending on the exact quality and quantity of ingredients used.
How to garnish our Paloma Cocktail with Pink Grapefruit Juice
Garnishing a Paloma Cocktail is simple and easy. You can garnish it with pink grapefruit juice.
- Step 1: Add a little bit of pink grapefruit juice to the top of your glass.
- Step 2: Drop a lemon wedge in your glass, then squeeze it over the drink to release its juices.
That way, the cocktail will have a little extra sweetness and color to make it even more visually appealing.
