Paloma: Mexico’s Favorite Tequila Cocktail

Any tequilero knows how to fix a good margarita, but for Mexicans, this may not be their go-to tequila cocktail. In the homeland of tequila, The Paloma is king. Born at the aptly named La Capilla (Spanish for The Chapel) and prepared for the first time by legendary Don Javier Delgado, the Paloma has conquered many hearts over the years.

In the states, the Paloma has always been living under the shadow of her most popular sister Margarita, but times are changing. Grapefruit, the distinctive ingredient of the drink, is one of the most harvested fruits in US soil; a real beauty about this drink is that if it’s too much of a hassle to get freshly squeezed juice, a good pink grapefruit soda like 3 Cents will more than do the trick.

Even world-renowned bartender Dré Masso approves: “Surprisingly, the Paloma is Mexico’s most popular cocktail, not the Margarita as I originally thought. Most of the time it is made with a canned or bottled fizzy drink which consists of grapefruit, lime, sugar, and soda”.

The Paloma brings together the bitter citric flavor of grapefruit, the sweetness of agave syrup or soda, lime acid and a spicy and salty rim to give a true explosion of flavors. But enough talking, let’s fix ourselves some Altos Sparkling Palomas.

Sparkling Paloma

Ingredients

Directions

Pour ingredients in highball. Stir to disolve the agave mix. Add ice, top with soda. Garnish with a lime wedge.