Paloma is a simple drink made with tequila, fresh lime juice and pink grapefruit soda. An ideal long drink for the summer season. I have created a few twists on the classic, still keeping it very simple but adding a few new flavour elements into the mix.
Which one of these Paloma recipes is your favourite?
Want to learn more about tequila? See my previous blog post Tequila Categories Explained
Classic Paloma
50ml Tequila Plata
10ml Fresh Lime Juice
Pink Grapefruit Soda
Salt rim
First, wet the rim of the glass with a lime wedge, then coat it with salt. Next, measure all ingredients into a tall ice-filled glass and top up with pink grapefruit soda. Give it a gentle stir.
Classic Paloma – Fresh Ingredients
50ml Tequila Plata (I used El Espolon Blanco)
50ml Fresh Pink Grapefruit Juice
15ml Fresh Lime Juice
5ml Agave Syrup
Soda Water
First add the salt rim into your glass and fill it with ice. Next, measure all ingredients into a tall ice-filled glass and top up with soda. Give it a gentle stir.

Aperitivo Paloma
50ml Tequila Reposado (I used Pancho Datos)
20ml Campari
15ml Cranberry Syrup
40ml Fresh Pink Grapefruit Juice
15ml Fresh Lime Juice
Soda Water
Himalayan Pink Salt for the rim
First add the salt rim into your glass and fill it with ice. Shake all but soda water with ice and strain into the ice-filled glass. Top up with soda water.

Cucumber Paloma
50ml Tequila Plata (I used Vivir Plata)
30ml Fresh Grapefruit Juice
10ml Fresh Lime Juice
5ml Agave syrup
Cucumber Tonic Water (or replace with cucumber soda)
Salt rim
First add the salt rim into your glass and fill it with ice. Next, measure all ingredients into a tall ice-filled glass, give it a quick stir and top up with Dr Polidori Cucumber Tonic Water.


Smoky Watermelon Paloma
40ml Mezcal Espadin (I used Corte Vetusto)
40ml Fresh Grapefruit Juice
3 Watermelon Cubes, muddled
10ml Fresh Lime Juice
5ml Agave Syrup
Soda Water
Salt & Chilli Flake rim
First add the salt & chilli rim into your glass and fill it with ice. Muddle the watermelon cubes in the glass part of your shaker. Measure all but soda water and give it a quick stir. Double strain into the ice-filled glass and top up with soda.

Passionfruit & Basil Paloma
40ml Tequila Plata (I used Vivir Blanco)
25ml Passionfruit Liqueur (I used Nunquam Passiflora Edulis – it is divine and made in Tuscany)
35ml Fresh Pink Grapefruit Juice
15ml Fresh Lime Juice
5ml Agave Syrup
4 Large Basil Leaves + some for garnish
Soda Water
First add the salt rim into your glass and fill it with ice. Gently bruise the basil in the cocktail shaker and measure all but soda water and shake with ice. Double strain into the ice-filled glass and top up with soda water.


If you choose the quickest option and decide to go with grapefruit soda, here’s my brand suggestions:
London Essence Pink Grapefruit Soda
Peter Spanton Salted Paloma Soda Water
Three Cents Pink Grapefruit Soda
Fever-Tree Pink Grapefruit Soda
Fever-Tree Mexican Lime Soda – Ok it’s not grapefruit but it works amazingly with tequila
Luscombe Lime Crush – Again, not grapefruit but absolutely divine with agave spirits

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