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Paloma
Paloma: tequila, a squeeze of lime and grapefruit soda in a tall salt-rimmed glass, the everyday drink of Jalisco
Ask for a drink in a Guadalajara cantina or a family patio in the town of Tequila and you are more likely to get a paloma than a margarita. It is the easy Sunday drink of Jalisco, poured alongside birria, tortas ahogadas and plates of peanuts with chilli, and like every cocktail here it is for adults only. A paloma is tall, cold and fizzy: bitter-sweet grapefruit, a sharp hit of lime, the earthy agave of the tequila and a pinch of salt that makes the citrus pop. The common mistake is pouring the soda in hard and stirring like mad, which knocks out the bubbles and leaves a flat, sweet drink. Build it over plenty of ice, pour the soda down the side of the glass and lift once with a spoon. It is ready when the glass is beaded with cold, the salt rim is still crisp and the drink is still fizzing loudly. Keep a glass of water alongside and drink responsibly. If you cannot find Mexican grapefruit soda, use fresh pink grapefruit juice topped up with soda water and a little sugar syrup. Chef's tip: add a tiny pinch of salt to the drink itself, not just the rim; it softens the bitterness of the grapefruit.
- Total time
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 1
Ingredients
For the paloma
- 1 lime wedgeto wet the rim
- 1 tbsp coarse sea saltfor the rim, plus a pinch for the drink
- 8 ice cubes
- 3 ½ tbsp blanco tequila100% agave
- 1 tbsp lime juicefreshly squeezed
- ¾ cup grapefruit sodachilled; or 90 ml pink grapefruit juice, 60 ml soda water and 1 tsp sugar syrup
To serve
- 1 pink grapefruit wedge (optional)
For the alcohol-free version
- 1 lime wedge (optional)
- 1 tbsp coarse sea salt (optional)
- 8 ice cubes (optional)
- ½ cup pink grapefruit juice (optional)freshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp lime juice (optional)
- 1 tbsp agave syrup (optional)
- ½ cup soda water (optional)chilled
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Run 1 lime wedge around the rim of a tall glass and dip the rim into ⅞ tbsp coarse sea salt on a saucer until evenly coated.
1 minStep 2: Fill the glass with 8 ice cubes, pour in 3 ½ tbsp blanco tequila and 1 tbsp lime juice and add the remaining ⅛ tbsp coarse sea salt as a small pinch.
1 minStep 3: Top slowly with ¾ cup grapefruit soda, pouring down the inside of the glass, then lift once with a long spoon. Hook 1 pink grapefruit wedge on the rim and serve while it fizzes.
1 minStep 4: Alcohol-free version: salt the rim of a tall glass with 1 lime wedge and 1 tbsp coarse sea salt and fill it with 8 ice cubes.
1 minStep 5: Alcohol-free version: stir ½ cup pink grapefruit juice, 1 tbsp lime juice and 1 tbsp agave syrup together in the glass, then top gently with ½ cup soda water and lift once.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 180 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 17 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does paloma take?
- About 5 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 1 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
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