Paloma Cocktail

It’s Cinco de Mayo, so how about a Paloma cocktail? In Mexico, Palomas are usually a combination of tequila and grapefruit soda. In the US grapefruit soda is often replaced with fresh grapefruit juice either with or without club soda. 

That’s the recipe for today folks, tequila, simple syrup, grapefruit juice, lime juice topped with club soda. This is a very refreshing cocktail, ideally served in a champagne flute. I used stemless champagne flutes, something I like to do when serving a sparkling drink with no wine in it.

The Paloma has become a very popular tequila-based cocktail in New York. I’ve read that it is the go to tequila drink, outside of straight shots, in Mexico.  

I have done some research in NY on Palomas, with regard to where to get the best one and so far, my fav Paloma cocktail can be had at one of the two Hillstone NYC restaurants. Hillstone uses whole grapefruits and squeezes the juice for the cocktails at request. The result is a fragrant lip-smacking beverage that is hard to beat. My version of the Paloma cocktail is a little lighter than what can be had at Hillstone, but delicious nonetheless.

This Paloma cocktail recipe can be made for a few or a big group, and I would say ideally a drink for the ladies. Imagine your next girls night featuring this Paloma cocktail. I doused one side of the glass in organic cane sugar giving the effect of a sparkling drink inside a sparkling glass.

There is no reason not to serve Paloma cocktails to the guys, but I would suggest you dispense with the champagne flute and sugar and instead use an old fashioned glass.  Add a salt rim, serve on the rocks and add slices of lime. Now you have a more masculine version of the Paloma cocktail.

The Paloma cocktail is a great drink to share with friends for Cinco de Mayo, so I suggest you do just that. Toast the night away with this sparkling grapefruit cocktail and have fun.