Classic Paloma Cocktail Recipe
Have you tried Spindrift yet?
When I was pregnant during the summer months, I wanted all the fruity (non-alcoholic) beverages. I drank gallons of water but, when all my friends were having cocktails, I wanted something a little special. Regular seltzer just didn’t do it for me. If felt like flavor was being ripped away from me right before I could taste it. I didn’t want to drink juice or anything with a lot of sugar and calories because I was already feeling like a beached whale.
Thankfully, some genius solved this issue for me. Spindrift is like seltzer with a touch of real fruit juice. It has the bubbles and the flavor and I thank the beached whale gods that there are almost no calories in it.
This grapefruit Spindrift is absolutely perfect for a classic Paloma. It has a just touch of real grapefruit juice so it’s light and bubbly with just enough flavor. You can definitely use other grapefruit sodas but I find that they tend to overpower the tequila and weigh it down with sugar.
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This recipe is also way less acidic so if you plan to have more than one, your taste buds won’t burn off your tongue (does this only happen to me?). Even more important, since grapefruit Spindrift only has 15 calories, I’d even call this a Skinny Paloma!
For tequila, I recommend Don Julio‘s Tequila Blanco or Tromba Blanco.
If you like drinks like the Greyhound or the Salty Dog, you’re going to love this Paloma! Feel free to salt the rim for a little extra punch.
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Before you start whipping out the ingredients to make this drink, make sure you have these essential bar tools in your kitchen first (or shop for them here):
Easy To Make Paloma Cocktail Recipe
Classic Paloma
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz tequila blanco
- 1/2 oz lime juice
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- 3 oz of grapefruit soda
Instructions
- Add tequila, lime juice and syrup to a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Shake it up!
- Strain into a high ball glass with ice.
- Top with grapefruit soda.
The classic paloma does not contain grapefruit soda but grapefruit juice.
Hi Sandy, grapefruit juice and club soda is used more often because grapefruit soda is not always easy to find in some countries. That being said, Spindrift is actually made with real fruit juices which is why I love using it in cocktails. You can find more about the Paloma here:
In Mexico, Jarritos soda is a popular choice for adding the effervescent grapefruit note. This brand is relatively easy to find stateside, particularly in grocery stores that stock Mexican foods and ingredients. Squirt is another common pick in Mexico, while Ting and Fresca are also suitable options. However, as bartenders continue to embrace fresh juice in their cocktails, it has become increasingly common to use fresh grapefruit juice in place of the grapefruit soda. If you want to go that route, you can complement the juice with unflavored sparkling water to achieve the necessary bubbly effect. This combination yields a similar cocktail, so it’s worth the experiment. But grapefruit soda is the more traditional choice when making Palomas. Source: Liquor.com
I loved this recipe! I couldn’t get my Paloma’s to taste the way I wanted until I tried this! Restaurant style! 👌👌