When Jack and I lived in Austin, we’d always order paloma cocktails on summer afternoons at Hula Hut. It had a big deck right on Lake Austin, and it was filled with people all summer long. We loved to sit there in the hot sun, sipping our cocktails and sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with friends.
Last weekend, the spring sun inspired us to make this paloma recipe at home. With just the two of us, our “scene” looked a bit different than our Hula Hut days, but we still had fun mixing up our drinks together. In fact, we’re already looking forward to making this paloma recipe again tomorrow. It’s really simple, and it’s a fresh alternative to other tequila drinks (looking at you, margarita). If you’re looking for a fun way to kick off the weekend, I hope you give it a try!
A traditional paloma cocktail consists of tequila, lime juice, and grapefruit soda. My recipe is a fresher version of this classic combination. Here’s what’s in it:
Rub the rim of a highball glass or margarita glass with a grapefruit wedge, and dip it in a small plate of salt. Add the tequila, grapefruit juice, sparkling water, lime juice, and sweetener to the glass, stir to combine, and add ice to fill the glass. Sweeten to taste, and garnish with a grapefruit or lime wedge. Enjoy!
Paloma
This easy paloma recipe is perfect for Cinco de Mayo, happy hour, or anytime you’re craving a fun drink! After you mix it together, taste and adjust your cocktail to find a balance of flavors you love.
Prep: 5min
Total: 5min
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces tequila
- 2 ounces fresh grapefruit juice (plus wedges for garnish)
- 2 ounces sparkling water
- ½ ounce lime juice
- ¼ ounce agave nectar or simple syrup (or to taste)
- Coarse sea salt (for the rim of the glasses)
- Ice
Instruction:
- Salt the rim of the glass by rubbing a grapefruit wedge around the edge and dipping it onto a small plate of salt.
- Mix the tequila, grapefruit juice, sparkling water, lime juice, and agave nectar into the glass. Fill the remainder of the glass with ice. Adjust sweetness to taste. Garnish with grapefruit wedge.
