The Paloma is one of Mexico’s most loved cocktails, even if the Margarita tends to steal the spotlight abroad. Fresh, citrusy, and lightly bitter, it is the kind of drink that feels instantly refreshing.
Traditionally made with tequila and grapefruit soda, it is all about ease and balance. It has a long history as a go to drink in Mexico, especially on warm afternoons when something light and thirst quenching is exactly what is needed.
Nobody agrees on why the Paloma is named after a dove. The leading theory is way less romantic: it’s probably a mix-up with pomelo, the Spanish word for grapefruit, since the two words look close enough on a bar menu to get confused. Either way, the name stuck to a drink that’s arguably more popular in Mexico than the Margarita, even though it rarely gets the same credit abroad.
Tequila, grapefruit soda, a squeeze of lime, a salted rim. That’s the whole drink, and it’s been that way since Squirt soda first landed in Mexico in the 1950s and someone poured tequila into it.
Why Lush Life Loves It
I always find myself ordering this when I want something that feels effortless. It is less predictable than a Margarita and somehow always feels like the right choice when the sun is out.
Here is the recipe
Paloma
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ounces tequila (or mezcal for a smokier cocktail)
- 4 ounces grapefruit soda
- ½ ounce fresh lime juice
- Garnish with a wheel of grapefruit
Instructions
- Wet the rim of a highball glass with the grapefruit wheel
- Dip the rim in salt
- Add ice
- Stir all ingredients together.
- Garnish with a wheel of grapefruit