AI-generated illustration.
We have given plenty of attention to the Margarita (in French) and its cousin Tommy’s Margarita (in French). Meanwhile, the Paloma has been waiting with its bottle of grapefruit soda. Time to put that right: this simple drink is built straight in the glass and deserves a place alongside them.
Tequila, grapefruit, lime, a little salt and bubbles. You can read the recipe in seconds. To make it well, the main thing is to understand what is in your soda.
An origin less precise than the recipe
The Paloma belongs to Mexico’s cocktail tradition, but its beginnings are less clear than some accounts suggest. Don Javier Delgado Corona of La Capilla is often named as its creator. That attribution alone does not establish who invented it.
There is no need to invent a scene with a distracted bartender, a spilled bottle and a conveniently placed customer. A cocktail can become a classic without an origin myth.
The recipe for one drink
Preparation: 3 minutes. Equipment: highball glass, jigger, citrus press and bar spoon.
Ingredients
- 5 cl 100% agave blanco tequila
- 0.5 cl fresh lime juice
- 10 cl chilled grapefruit soda
- A small pinch of salt
- Ice cubes
- A lime wheel or grapefruit wedge
Method
- Pour the tequila and lime juice into a highball glass.
- Add a small pinch of salt and stir to dissolve it.
- Fill the glass generously with ice.
- Pour in the cold grapefruit soda.
- Give the drink one or two gentle stirs, then add the citrus garnish.
These starting proportions follow the IBA recipe. The 0.5 cl of lime may look modest, but the soda already brings acidity. Taste before adding more.
The soda is an ingredient in its own right
Some grapefruit sodas are very sweet; others are drier, more bitter or more acidic. No recipe can predict which bottle you bought. It is the same problem as with a Gin & Tonic (in French): the mixer makes up much of the drink, so its flavour matters.
Choose a soda you enjoy on its own and keep it refrigerated. Warm soda poured over ice melts more of it, diluting the drink and leaving the tequila harder to taste.
Can you use fresh juice?
Yes, but grapefruit juice is not a direct replacement for soda: you lose both the bubbles and some of the sugar. For a fresh-juice version, start with 5 cl tequila, 5 cl grapefruit juice, 1 cl lime juice, 1 cl simple syrup and 5 cl sparkling water. Keep the small pinch of salt.
Mix everything except the sparkling water, add ice, then top with the bubbles. Adjust the syrup and lime to suit your fruit. This version tastes fruitier and takes a little more work. It is not automatically better: a good soda makes an excellent Paloma.
Salt, but not a whole beach
A small pinch in the drink is enough to change how it tastes. If you like a salted rim, moisten only half of it with lime, then dip that half into a saucer of fine salt. That gives you a choice with each sip. In that case, start without extra salt in the drink.
Blanco tequila keeps the agave character clear; reposado adds a different roundness. What matters most is choosing a tequila you like. There is little reason to buy an expensive bottle only to bury it under poor soda.
For several guests, combine the tequila and lime ahead of time and keep them cold. Add ice and soda to each glass just before serving. The bubbles should arrive last.
