Cocktail Hacker

I’ve been wanting to cover another tequila cocktail here on CH and this weekend I made it my mission to find that cocktail.  I’d heard tale of a cocktail that is said to be more prevalent among Mexican locals than the Margarita, the Paloma.  The Paloma is a tall drink (think Collins-ish) made with grapefruit soda, lime and tequila.  Sounds like a winner to me!

Directly translated La Paloma means the dove.  While doves are certainly pretty they aren’t likely the direct inspiration for this cocktail.  Rather I’d guess it was named after the famous song of the same name.  You can listen to a classic version of the song here or a version by Julio Iglesias here.

There are two main variations on the Paloma.  The first, and seemingly more classic, version which is made from grapefruit soda such as Squirt and the second version using fresh grapefruit juice and agave nectar.  I’m going to be testing both out but here’s the classic recipe to get you going.

Paloma (About.com Cocktails)

2 oz Tequila
1/2 oz Lime Juice
6 oz Grapefruit Soda
Salt for Rimming (Optional)

1) Rim a Collins glass with salt if desired
2) Build the cocktail over ice in the Collins glass