Paloma
The Paloma is one of those drinks that does everything right when you want to use your tequila bottle.
The Paloma is a tequila highball built around grapefruit, lime, and soda. It is known for its balance of freshness, light bitterness, and gentle sweetness.
Unlike heavier cocktails, the Paloma works through clarity and restraint. Each ingredient plays a specific role, and small changes can shift the drink significantly.
Paloma Ingredients
- 50 ml tequila (blanco)
- 40 ml fresh grapefruit juice
- 10 ml fresh lime juice
- 60 to 80 ml soda water
- Pinch of salt (optional)
- Ice cubes, the clearer the better
Optional
- ca. 10 ml simple syrup (if grapefruit is very tart)
- Grapefruit zest (for aroma) or a slice of grapefruit (for the looks)
How to make a Paloma highball
- Fill your glass with ice
- Add grapefruit juice and lime juice
- Add tequila
- Optional, add a small pinch of salt
- Top with soda water
- Stir gently for 1 to 2 turns
- Garnish with a grapefruit slice or zest
Things to notice
Balance is key in a Paloma
The drink depends on balancing acidity, bitterness, and dilution. Grapefruit brings both acidity and bitterness, while soda controls intensity. And if this still to tart for you … carefully add a bit of the syrup to tame the acidity. But be gentle!
Why fresh grapefruit matters
Fresh juice gives brightness and a natural bitterness that bottled versions cannot replicate. Packaged grapefruit juice often tastes flat or overly sweet. Should you have to use bottled juice, make sure to have some more lime juice or even lemon juice at hand to tweak the taste.
The role of salt in a Paloma
A small pinch of salt enhances the perception of sweetness and reduces bitterness. It should not be noticeable, but it rounds out the drink. This works similarly in a coffee that turned out too bitter as well: A bit of salt goes a long way to take the bitterness level down.
Variations and tweaks
- Sweeter: add a small amount of simple syrup
- Drier: reduce grapefruit juice slightly and increase soda
- Shortcut: use a grapefruit soda instead of fresh juice and soda water. Adjust with some more acidity if needed.
Origins and history
The Paloma is one of Mexico’s best-known tequila cocktails, though it is less internationally famous than the Margarita. Its exact origins are unclear, but it is commonly linked to mid-20th century Mexico and the rise of grapefruit soda as a mixer; Don Javier Delgado Corona is often credited, though not definitively confirmed, as its creator. It is prized for its refreshing, easy-drinking character, and the tequila-grapefruit combination is widely seen as a natural fit. Probably a great reason to make one for yourself and confirm this.
