The Paloma recipe
for your table
If desired, rub the rim of the glass with lime and dip it in salt.
Fill the glass with ice and add the tequila, lime juice, and a pinch of salt.
Top with grapefruit soda and stir briefly.
Garnish with a grapefruit or lime wedge.
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The story
Romantic stories abound about the origin of the Paloma ('dove' in Spanish): some say it was named after a folk song, while others say it was created by the legendary Don Javier Delgado Corona in his cantina La Capilla in Tequila itself. What is certain is that the drink became popular with the rise of grapefruit sodas such as Squirt in 1950s Mexico. Simple, inexpensive, and perfect for beating the heat, the Paloma became Mexico's national drink and is now conquering the rest of the world through cocktail bars.
The right glass
The Paloma is a thirst-quencher, so it belongs in a tall glass with plenty of ice. A 33 to 47 cl highball glass does exactly what it should: preserve the bubbles, retain the cold, and let that soft pink grapefruit color shine. For the full cantina feel, choose a glass with a textured finish that feels satisfyingly sturdy. If you serve it with a salted rim, the models from our margarita glasses collection also work well.
Onis Icon Long Drink Glass 47 cl (6 pieces)
Arcoroc Islande Long Drink Glass 33 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 51,90.
The right tools
For a Paloma, in addition to the glass, you use a long bar spoon, a jigger with six measurements, a citrus press, a glass rimmer and long ice sticks. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glassware set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools together € 116,70.
What do you need to make a Paloma?
For a Paloma, you need tequila. Well-known bottles include Clase Azul and Don Julio. On every drinks page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works well in and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Mezcal gives the Paloma smoke and depth, and by now it is the trendier order in Mexico City. Fresh grapefruit juice with soda instead of soda makes it drier and more mature. A chili-salt rim (Tajín) is the finishing touch that transports the terrace to Guadalajara. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
That pinch of salt in the cocktail itself is the secret: it reduces the grapefruit's bitterness and makes the tequila rounder. Fresh grapefruit juice with soda makes a drier, more mature Paloma.
Good to know
Grapefruit soda or fresh juice
In Mexico, Squirt or Jarritos is traditionally used, a sweetened grapefruit soda; 10 cl makes the Paloma sweet, light, and very easy to drink. If you replace it with 6 cl freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and 4 cl soda water, it becomes drier, more bitter, and more mature, and you can taste the tequila much more clearly. The fresh version often needs half a bar spoon of sugar syrup to tame the bitterness, especially with white grapefruit. Pink grapefruit is sweeter and can be used without it. Both versions are correct, but it is a genuine choice.
The sea salt or Tajín rim
Rub a lime wedge over the outside of the glass rim, not the inside, then roll it through coarse sea salt on a small flat plate. This keeps salt out of the cocktail itself and lets you decide with each sip how much you take in. Rim only half the circumference so every guest can choose. Tajín, the Mexican blend of chili, lime, and salt, gives a spicy rim that pairs excellently with grapefruit. Do this before filling the glass with ice, otherwise the salt will not stick.
Paloma or Margarita
Both contain tequila and citrus, but their composition is fundamentally different. The Margarita is a shaken sour made with 5 cl tequila, 2 cl triple sec, and 2 cl lime juice, short and concentrated in a small glass. The Paloma is a long drink: the same 5 cl tequila with 1.5 cl lime juice, topped up with 10 cl grapefruit over plenty of ice in a tall glass. As a result, the Paloma is around 10 percent alcohol, while the Margarita is around 25. In Mexico, the Paloma is the everyday order, while the Margarita is mainly for tourists.
Paloma for a group from the pitcher
For six glasses, mix 30 cl tequila with 9 cl fresh lime juice and half a teaspoon of fine salt in a pitcher and chill for an hour. Add the 60 cl grapefruit soda only when serving; otherwise, it will have gone flat before the first guest pours a glass. Fill the glasses with ice first, pour until two-thirds full, and top up each glass. Allow about 17 cl per person and keep an extra bottle of soda on hand, because this pitcher disappears faster than you think.
Paloma meaning and the name on the menu
Paloma means dove in Spanish, so the name says little about what goes into the glass. On a menu, you will encounter it as Paloma or as cocktail Paloma; both refer to the same tequila and grapefruit combination. In Mexico, this Paloma drink is not a special occasion drink but simply something you order on a warm afternoon, with tequila and a bottle of grapefruit soda side by side on the bar. That down-to-earth background explains why the recipe is so short: five ingredients built directly in the glass.
Paloma cocktail recipe with mezcal
If you want smoke in the glass, replace only the tequila with mezcal in a mezcal Paloma; the rest of the recipe stays the same. Start with half mezcal and half tequila if you do not want the smoke to dominate immediately, because mezcal has a pronounced flavor and overpowers the grapefruit faster than you expect. Pink grapefruit offsets the smoke somewhat, and an extra lime wheel keeps the whole thing fresh. Taste as you go, because you can always add another splash of mezcal, but you cannot take it out.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a Paloma cocktail?
A Paloma consists of 5 cl 100 percent agave tequila, 1.5 cl fresh lime juice, a pinch of salt, and 10 cl grapefruit soda, served with plenty of ice and a grapefruit wedge. That pinch of salt in the drink itself reduces the grapefruit's bitterness.
How do you make a Mexican Paloma?
If desired, rub the rim of the glass with lime and salt, fill the glass with ice, and pour in the tequila, lime juice, and a pinch of salt. Top with grapefruit soda and stir briefly. In Mexico, they usually use Squirt or a similar grapefruit soda.
What does a Paloma taste like?
Dry, bittersweet, and refreshing: the grapefruit adds a slight bitterness, the lime acidity, and the salt rounds out the tequila. It is less sweet than a Margarita and therefore easier to drink on a hot day. Fresh grapefruit juice makes it even drier.
Which glass do you use for a Paloma?
A 33 to 47 cl highball glass with plenty of ice: tall enough to retain the bubbles and wide enough for a grapefruit wedge. A textured glass creates a cantina feel; see our highball glasses. Chill the glass beforehand.
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