What's a Paloma Anyway?
This blog/website would not exist had I not discovered La Paloma. That being said, I can’t exactly recall when I discovered/began drinking/became slightly obsessed with La Paloma. It was somewhat recently, maybe about three or four years ago, but man, I got bit hard by the Paloma bug. A Paloma is a cocktail made from tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice and a splash of grapefruit flavored soda. YUM.
If you are interested in finding the history of the Paloma cocktail here is a good place to start:
Admittedly, the history seems a bit nebulous. I still enjoy reading about it and imagining how it came to be.
I’m not sure Mexico has an official national cocktail but if I had thought about it I would have guessed the margarita. You too? Not so, but don’t feel badly. It seems that La Paloma is a more popular cocktail in Mexico.
Now I get it-I think tequila pairs more naturally with grapefruit juice than it does with lime juice. It is effortless, breezy, refreshing. Literally, summer in a glass.
Here is how I make mine:
1/4 cup fresh Ruby Red grapefruit juice 1/4 cup Casamigos Tequila Blanco Juice of approx 1/2 lime 3 dashes Angostura Bitters Splash of Polar Half and Half or other grapefruit flavored soda
Stir or shake tequila, grapefruit juice, and lime juice together.
Pour over ice.
Add the bitters and add a splash of grapefruit soda.
I realize that you won’t find bitters in most recipes for a Paloma. However, I feel it softens and rounds out all the flavors beautifully. Give it a try with and see if you like it!
Cheers!
May 3, 2019