Paloma Cocktail

It may not be officially Summer, but now that the weather is warming up, I’m craving a taste of the hot Summer… especially icy cold drinks!

Even if you’re not a huge fan of grapefruit, I think you’ll really like this cocktail! The lime and agave really add bright and sweet flavors that combine with the tartness of the grapefruit and the bite from the tequila.

What you end up with is a drink that’s the perfect blend of sweet and tart, and incredibly refreshing!

There are plenty of ways to change this recipe up if you’d like, and I’ve included a large batch version in the “chef tips” right below the recipe instructions, in case you’re having a party and don’t want to make just 1 cocktail at a time.

What do I need to make this recipe?

• Grapefruit – grapefruit juice is part of the essential ingredients that make up a paloma. Fresh is best, if possible.
• Sea salt – I prefer to use sea salt for the rim.
• Tequila – you want to use blanco or silver tequila for this recipe.
• Lime – fresh lime juice is preferred, but bottled will work in a pinch.
• Agave – agave nectar is similar to a simple syrup, and bottles are found in the baking section (by the other sweeteners) of most large grocery stores.
• Ice – no need for fancy ice cubes, unless you have them already.
• Sparkling water – topo chico is the brand I typically use, but you can use any flavorless sparkling water/soda.

How to make a paloma cocktail?

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

1. Wet the rim. I like to run a wedge of grapefruit or lime around the rim to get it wet.
2. Rim the glass. Dip the rim of the glass into a shallow dish of sea salt.
3. Add tequila.
4. Add grapefruit juice.
5. Add lime juice.
6. Add agave.
7. Stir. Stir well until the agave is dissolved into the drink.
8. Fill with ice and sparkling water. Then garnish and serve cold.

Variations of this recipe

• Spice – for some heat, try adding a few slices of a fresh jalapeño pepper.
• Simple syrup – in place of the agave, you can use an equal amount of simple syrup (you can make this or buy it from the store).
• Sparkling water – feel free to use your favorite flavorless sparkling soda/water for this recipe. Seltzer or club soda are two great alternatives.
• Grapefruit juice – I prefer the brightness of using fresh juice, but you can use bottled 100% grapefruit juice if you’d like.
• Rim – if you prefer a sweet rim, instead of the sea salt, you can use granulated sugar or turbinado cane sugar.
• Alcohol-free – if you would like to make this into a “mocktail”, omit the tequila, and use 3 oz of grapefruit juice, 3/4 oz of lime juice, the same amount of agave as indicated in the recipe, and top off with mineral water (just as in the alcoholic version).

Making a paloma ahead of time

Palomas are a drink that’s best made fresh right before serving, however at least they come together quickly!

You can slice the citrus for the garnishes in advance, as well as juice the grapefruit and lime, and keep them in the refrigerator, which will cut down even more on the time it takes to make this drink.

Storage

Any leftover cocktails should be stored in the refrigerator and enjoyed within 1-2 days.

The sparkling water will have gone flat, so when serving a leftover drink, you may want to refresh the drink by adding another splash of sparkling water.