The Classic Paloma combines fresh grapefruit and lime juice, sparkling water, and tequila for a super refreshing and easy-sipping cocktail, but the addition of fresh mint elevates the flavor and freshness factor making it one of our favorites ever!

Paloma in glass with grapefuit and mint garnish.

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Editor’s Note: Originally published on May 30, 2018. Updated with improved recipe, all new photos, and ingredient information.

Similar to a margarita in that the Paloma combines citrus and tequila, it’s a bit lighter in alcohol due to the absence of another liquor, such as a triple sec or Cointreau that you’d typically find in a classic margarita.

The effervescence of the Paloma makes it refreshing, and the perfect cocktail for summer!

The Paloma with mint is great alongside Mexican fare such as shrimp tacos, chili colorado, and of course chips and guacamole.

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To make a non-alcoholic Paloma, simply omit the tequila and replace with more sparkling water; this makes an excellent mocktail!

Recipe Ingredients

All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.

Ingredients shown: mint, grapefruits, limes, salt, tequila, agave, and sparkling water.

Citrus. Use fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice and lime juice for the best results. Fresh grapefruit and/or lime slices can also be used for garnish.
Tequila. Use a blanco/silver tequila for your Palomas.
Agave. For a bit of sweetness, use light agave nectar. Agave nectar can also be used to help the salt stick to the rim of the glass, if using.
Carbonation. Topo Chico or other sparkling water or club soda. Alternatively, you can replace the sparkling water and grapefruit juice with grapefruit soda. Jarritos brand is good as is Trader Joe’s.
Mint. While not traditional, the fresh mint pairs so well with grapefruit and amps up the refreshing flavor of the classic Paloma.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to make it

Pour some agave nectar into a shallow plate and pour some kosher salt into another shallow plate. Prepare the rim of two rocks glasses by dipping the rims into the agave nectar and gently rolling them in coarse salt. Fill both glasses with ice.
To a cocktail shaker add a handful of ice, 4 ounces of blanco tequila, 4 ounces of grapefruit juice, 2 ounces of lime juice, and one ounce of agave nectar and shake for 30 seconds, then strain and pour the mixture into the prepared rocks glasses.
Whack a sprig of mint leaves against the cocktail shaker to release their flavor and oil, then hand-tear the leaves and add to the glasses and fill both to the top with sparkling water. Garnish with a slice of grapefruit, lime, or both and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Overhead shot of paloma cocktail with grapefuit wedge garnish.

More tequila cocktails

If you’re looking for more ways to use tequila, here are a few of our favorite recipes.

Limoncello margarita – frozen margarita with fresh lime juice and limoncello.
Cucumber jalapeño margarita – with fresh lime juice, tequila, and triple sec.
Apple margarita – with mezcal, apple cider, and fresh lime juice.

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