Paloma
Tequila's grapefruit BFF
Mexico's true national cocktail — tequila and grapefruit soda over ice with a salted rim. Bitter, bright, and endlessly refreshing. Simpler and more satisfying than any Margarita.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 oz Tequila
- 1/3 oz Fresh Lime Juice
- 3 1/2 oz Grapefruit soda
- 1 pinch Salt optional
Method
Rim a highball glass with salt if desired. Fill with ice. Add tequila and lime juice. Top with grapefruit soda and gently stir to combine. Garnish with a grapefruit wedge.
Origin obscure; commonly attributed to Don Javier Delgado Corona of La Capilla, Tequila (emerged after 1955 when Squirt grapefruit soda arrived in Mexico), though he denied creating it per Jim Meehan's Bartender Manual. Nancy Zaslavsky's A Cook's Tour of Mexico (1997) refers to the Paloma as the "Lazy Man's Margarita," but the earliest verified documented print references are 1999 (Beverage Media) and 2000 (Cowboy Cocktails). Per Difford's Guide #1456 and IBA New Era list.
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