Guidelines for Preparing a Paloma Cocktail at Home

The Paloma cocktail has been a popular choice in Mexico for several decades, believed to have originated in the 1950s with the introduction of a grapefruit soda named Squirt.

Patron's Paloma cocktail

Recently, tequila has gained immense popularity globally, with enthusiasts appreciating its fruity, refreshing flavor and appealing aesthetic, especially during the summer season. Here is a method to prepare your own at home, perfectly timed for World Paloma Day.

What defines a Paloma?

A Paloma drink is conventionally prepared with tequila, pink grapefruit soda or grapefruit juice, lime juice, and agave syrup, served in a highball glass with a salted rim; however, numerous creative variations exist.

What distinguishes a Margarita from a Paloma?

Despite sharing certain ingredients, the Margarita and the Paloma are fundamentally different cocktails. The Margarita features lime juice as its primary ingredient, yielding a tangy, sweet and sour flavor, whereas grapefruit juice is essential in the Paloma, producing a more delicately sweet, refreshing beverage.

Paloma Recipes

PATRÓN’s Perfect Paloma - Recipe from PATRÓN

Ingredients:

• 45ml Patrón Reposado

• 90ml fresh grapefruit juice

• 15ml agave syrup (1:1)

• 15ml fresh-squeezed lime juice

• 30ml sparkling water

• 1 pinch of salt

• Grapefruit slice for garnish

• Salt rim (optional)

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients except sparkling water in a shaker tin and shake with ice to chill.

2. Strain onto fresh ice in a sugar and salt rimmed Collins’s glass.

3. Top with sparkling water and garnish with a grapefruit wedge.

Ellers Farm Distillery’s Pineapple Paloma - Recipe from Ellers Farm Distillery

Ingredients:

• 30ml Ellers Farm Pineapple & Grapefruit Liqueur

• 20ml tequila

• 25ml lime juice

• 100ml pink grapefruit soda

Method:

1. Build all ingredients in a stemless wine glass.

2. Stir with ice.

3. Garnish with a pink grapefruit wedge and salt rim.

Lanique’s Paloma Rosa - Recipe from Lanique

Ingredients:

• 50ml tequila

• 25ml Lanique Spirit of Rose liqueur

• 10ml lime juice (freshly squeezed)

• 30ml pink grapefruit juice (freshly squeezed)

• 30ml pink grapefruit soda

Method:

1. Shake ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glass. 

2. Top with pink grapefruit soda.

3. Garnish with grapefruit juice and a Himalayan pink salt rim.