It was Father’s Day, June 16, 2019, when I got an intriguing clue in the NYT Sunday crossword: “Cocktail of tequila and grapefruit soda.” I had no idea what the answer was, but it sounded really good! A bit of a google search revealed the Paloma, and I promptly went out to the store, bought the necessary ingredients, and we celebrated Father’s Day in style with our new favorite cocktail.
Since then, we have upgraded our Palomas to use fresh grapefruit juice, homemade simple syrup, and club soda instead of grapefruit soda. My favorite recipe is a riff off of the Lemon Bowl’s spicy Paloma—but I use regular simple syrup instead of a spicy one. To make one drink, I use the following proportions:
- 2 oz tequila (I’m a Patron girl myself, but this drink is so delicious, it’s fine to use Jose!)
- 2 oz freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
- 0.5 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
- 0.5 oz simple syrup
- 3 oz club soda
The method is easy! Combine all ingredients except the club soda and stir to mix. Pour into an ice-filled highball glass and top with club soda.
I made these Palomas for Nick’s 40th birthday celebration, and they are easy to make a large amount for a party! Here’s how to make ~12 drinks with a bottle of tequila:
- 1 750-ml bottle of tequila
- 750 ml freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
- 190 ml freshly squeezed lime juice
- 190 ml simple syrup
- Don’t forget the club soda to top! (36 oz for 12 drinks)
Although I didn’t take a picture of our delicious Palomas, here’s a montage of one of our photo challenges of the birthday evening: everyone had to take the “most artistic shot” of their cocktail and message the WhatsApp group so that Nick could choose a winner! Which one do you think won? (Hint: Nick likes mint in his cocktails.) Cheers!
