how to make a paloma

A paloma is a simple, refreshing tequila and grapefruit cocktail. Here’s a clear, at‑home way to make one plus a few popular twists.

Classic paloma (from scratch)

Ingredients (1 drink)

• 2 oz blanco (silver) tequila

• 1.5–2 oz fresh grapefruit juice

• 0.5–0.75 oz fresh lime juice

• 0.5–1 oz simple syrup or agave nectar, to taste

• Pinch of salt (optional but nice)

• Cold sparkling water (such as Topo Chico) to top

• Ice cubes
• Grapefruit wedge or lime wedge, for garnish

• Coarse salt for the rim (optional)

Steps

1. Optional salted rim: Rub a grapefruit or lime wedge around the rim of a highball or Collins glass, then dip into coarse salt.

2. Fill the glass with ice.

3. In a cocktail shaker with ice, add tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, simple syrup (or agave), and a tiny pinch of salt.

4. Shake for about 10–15 seconds until the shaker feels very cold.

5. Strain into your ice‑filled glass.

6. Top with sparkling water, then give a gentle stir so the bubbles stay lively.

7. Garnish with a grapefruit or lime wedge and serve right away.

Super‑easy paloma with grapefruit soda

This is the “fast bar” version many people in Mexico and home bartenders use. Ingredients

• 2 oz tequila

• 0.5 oz fresh lime juice

• 6–8 oz cold grapefruit soda (like Squirt, Jarritos, or Fever‑Tree)

• Pinch of salt (optional)

• Ice, salt and citrus wedge for the rim/garnish (optional)

Steps

1. Salt the rim of a tall glass if you like, then fill the glass with ice.

2. Add tequila, lime juice, and salt (if using) to the glass and briefly stir.

3. Top with grapefruit soda, stir gently, and garnish with a wedge of grapefruit or lime.

Small twists people love

Home bartenders and forum folks often customize their palomas in fun ways:

• “Boujee” paloma: Add 0.5 oz simple syrup, 1 oz fresh grapefruit juice, and a small splash of Campari, shake and top with soda for a more complex, bitters‑kissed drink.

• Mezcal paloma: Swap part or all of the tequila for mezcal for a smoky note.

• Low‑calorie version: Use more sparkling water and less sweetener, or a light grapefruit soda, to keep it crisp and less sweet.

Simple HTML table of ratios

Here’s an HTML table summarizing the core ratios so you can compare at a glance:

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Version</th>
      <th>Tequila</th>
      <th>Grapefruit</th>
      <th>Lime</th>
      <th>Sweetener</th>
      <th>Top with</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>From-scratch paloma</td>
      <td>2 oz [web:3][web:7]</td>
      <td>1.5–2 oz juice [web:3][web:7]</td>
      <td>0.5–0.75 oz [web:3][web:7]</td>
      <td>0.5–1 oz syrup/agave [web:3][web:5][web:7]</td>
      <td>Sparkling water [web:3][web:5][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Grapefruit soda paloma</td>
      <td>2 oz [web:2][web:7][web:8]</td>
      <td>In 6–8 oz grapefruit soda [web:2][web:7][web:8]</td>
      <td>0.5 oz [web:2][web:7][web:8]</td>
      <td>Optional small amount [web:7][web:8]</td>
      <td>Grapefruit soda [web:2][web:7][web:8]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

TL;DR: For a classic paloma, shake 2 oz tequila, ~2 oz grapefruit, ~0.75 oz lime, a bit of syrup, and a pinch of salt with ice, then strain over ice and top with sparkling water.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.