Name: Paloma
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 50 ml Blanco tequila; 25 ml Pink grapefruit juice; 12.5 ml Lime juice; 7.5 ml Agave syrup; 50 ml Pink grapefruit soda

Paloma
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Glass:

Serve in a Collins glass

Ingredients:
1 ²⁄₃ fl oz	Patrón Silver blanco tequila
⁵⁄₆ fl oz	Pink grapefruit juice (freshly squeezed)
⁵⁄₁₂ fl oz	Lime juice (freshly squeezed)
¹⁄₄ fl oz	Agave syrup (agave nectar)
1 ²⁄₃ fl oz	Thomas Henry Pink Grapefruit soda

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Prepare:

Select and pre-chill a COLLINS GLASS.
Optionally, RIM glass with salt (moisten outside edge with lime or orange juice and dip into salt).
Prepare garnish of pink (or red) grapefruit wedge.

How to make:

SHAKE first 4 ingredients with ice.
STRAIN into ice-filled glass.
TOP with grapefruit soda and briefly stir.

Garnish:

Garnish with grapefruit wedge.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Cocktail of the day:

24th July 2026 is Tequila Day

Review:

Reminiscent of a long fruity Margarita with refreshing effervescence.

View readers' comments

Variations/similar cocktails:

Simple Paloma recipe
Cantaritos

History:

Paloma is Spanish for 'dove'. Its origins are unknown although it is reputed to date back to the 1950s. Some attribute its creation to the legendary Don Javier Delgado Corona, the former owner/bartender of La Capilla (The Chapel) in Tequila, Mexico, who created the Batanga.

Nutrition:

One serving of Paloma contains 168 calories

Alcohol content:

1.1 standard drinks
10.14% alc./vol. (20.28° proof)
15.8 grams of pure alcohol

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Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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Showing 10 of 19 comments for Paloma.
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Mika Pontikou

1st August at 13:17

Realy grate tequila recipe

Jeff Bertsch

14th July at 22:31

5/6? 5/12?

C'mon kids, figure out a normal ratio

-1

Simon Difford

16th July at 07:33

In Europe, 25ml, roughly 5/6oz, is a “normal ratio”. Indeed, here in the UK, it is the standard measure for spirits, one that pubs and bars are required by law to use.

Please click “measures and measuring” under the recipe for more info. All our recipes can be viewed with measures in ml, fl oz, shot/parts, or cl.

While US measures tend to be in ¼ oz (7.5ml) increments, the rest of the world uses 5ml (1/6oz) increments.

See Washington’s Dream on Night Live:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYqfVE-fykk&t=92s

Even in the USA, the metric system is favoured in scientific disciplines like chemistry, physics, and molecular biology because it simplifies calculations by utilising base-ten units. Many USA bartenders also use ml in their cocktail recipes as it makes measuring and calculating smaller increments simpler.

Loz Horner

10th August 2025 at 16:31

Yep this is a summer banger, as we say here in the UK.

Romina

25th June 2025 at 23:00

very refreshing

John CARR

27th January 2025 at 11:07

My first taste of the eponymous Mrs Difford’s drink. The new taste of summer… or should be! After a 37 deg C day this was just the thing! Used homemade grapefruit lemonade from Klaus Skt Rainer’s Cocktails book. Surly upped the lime for my taste/today’s fruit and enjoyed a half-salted rim. Super refreshing and delicious.

Paloma Difford

27th January 2025 at 15:37

If only it was that warm over this side of the world today...more like 37 deg F in chilly UK! Happy to hear you have the weather to enjoy it, a delicious summer cocktail ♥️

1 reply

Yorey C

18th November 2024 at 21:58

Los Cabos | Fever Tree | pasteurized gfruit ... great mix, well balanced, matter of fact i accidentally have 20% extra agave and i can tell it would be better with simon's spec had i poured more accurately. using a cheap tequila, but doesn't hurt it, could handle more spirit if i wanted

Steven Jepson

11th October 2024 at 22:10

I had never had a Paloma - I am on Statins for medical reasons which generally proscribe even the smallest doses of grapefruit! However I found an alternative form that is not grapefruit intolerant and thankyou NHS got switched.

I love both grapefruit and tequila and am now in heaven - I will never drink a Margarita again - Wow

Simon Sedgley

23rd September 2024 at 08:26

We add a generous barspoon of Grapefruit Honey Cheong to our Palomas. [Mash 2 ruby grapefruit with 230g (1/2lb) each of honey (we use leatherwood) and sugar (we use demarera), fill a sterilised jar and place it in the fridge for a week before enjoying.] This allows us to dial back on the agave syrup and go with just plain soda.

Simon Sedgley

23rd September 2024 at 08:42

Incidentally, if you've enjoyed one or two too many Palomas the night before, shake 3 generous barspoons of Grapefruit Honey Cheong and 1 cup of freshly brewed but cool tea (we use Earl Grey) with ice and strain into a glass filled with 1 cup crushed ice; garnish with a sprig of mint. You'll be back to feeling wonderful in no time at all.