Classic Paloma Cocktail

According to Difford’s guide to tequila, there are 7 categories of tequila. The first 5 categories relate to aging.

1. Blanco tequila typically rests for less than 2 months in stainless steel tanks before bottling.
2. Joven tequila, is a mix of blanco and reposado tequilas.
3. Reposado, or “rested” tequila, ages in oak casks for at least 60 days and up to 1 year.
4. Añejo “old” tequilas age in oak casks for between 1-3 years.
5. Extra añejo tequilas (you get the naming by now), age in oak casks for at least 3 years.

The last two categories focus less on aging and more on filtering and flavor.

1. Curados are essentially infused tequilas, which have become considerably more prevalent in the last 2 years.
2. Cristalinos are tequilas filtered with charcoal to make them (you guessed it!) crystal clear.

For this cocktail I recommend using a blanco tequila. Blanco tequilas tend to have a cleaner taste. They are typically herbal forward with notes of citrus, pepper, stone-fruit, and honey. Blanco tequila’s light, delicate flavor allows the acidic, citrusy flavors of the lime and grapefruit to shine and balance.

Some good tequila options for this cocktail are: Siete Leguas, Tres Agaves, Cazadores, Mijenta, Don Julio, El Tesoro, Código, and Espolon.

Reposados are also a possibility, but I would keep to reposado tequilas that have similar tasting notes as the above blancos. Think G4, Santera, Tres Agaves, Código, Siete Leguas, and Cazcanes. Reposado tequilas are going to have some additional flavorings from the oak barrels they rested in, like caramel, vanilla, and oak. They will also taste more of cooked agave, thanks to the aging process.

Traditional palomas use tequila, lime juice, and grapefruit soda. My recipe differs in a few ways.

1. No grapefruit soda. Different sodas have different sweetnesses and sometimes (especially in the US) it’s difficult to find grapefruit soda. (The only grapefruit soda that I know of is made by Fever Tree.) I used Giffard’s grapefruit liqueur and soda water instead of grapefruit soda.

2. Fresh grapefruit juice. While, this isn’t actually traditional, you will see lots of recipes add fresh juice. Like those cooks, I also prefer fresh grapefruit juice. It enhances the acidity of the cocktail and gives a more pungent grapefruit flavor than a soda.

3. Cointreau. I really like a little note of orange in this cocktail. I feel like it adds another citrus layer, to go alongside the lime and grapefruit.

4. Grapefruit bitters. Think of bitters the way you think of cooking spices. Bitters are not main ingredients, but they still shape the flavor of an overall dish or, in this case, a beverage. I use grapefruit bitters in this cocktail to amplify the grapefruit flavor even more.

While I have strayed from tradition, I still consider this a classic paloma cocktail, because I’m chasing the traditional paloma taste.

The double strain technique is simply using 2 different strainers (of differing fineness) while pouring a cocktail out of a shaker and into a glass.

1. The first strainer, the Hawthorne strainer or holed top of your shaker (whichever you have), should always be used for shaken cocktails. It does one thing. It keeps the large pieces of slightly melted ice in your shaker.

2. The second strainer, your fine mesh strainer, takes the pulp out of the juice and removes the tiny ice chips from your drink that will slip through the Hawthorne strainer.

Double straining a fruited cocktail gives it a smooth texture and uniform temperature. Pulp is great in your morning OJ, but it’s not the best in your handcrafted cocktail. Ice chips and extra fruit can also throw off the flavor balance in your cocktail when they hit your tastebuds.

In situations where the texture of the ice chips isn’t noticeable, you can strain the juice after you squeeze it but before you add it into the mix. Then you can forego using two strainers when you pour the cocktails. Essentially, when you are straining over a glass with multiple ice cubes in it.

Always, double strain, if you are shaking a cocktail and then pouring it into a chilled coupe glass with no ice or into a glass with a single large ice cube.

Agave is the perfect ingredient for sugar or salt rimmed cocktails because, in thin layers, it has a neutral flavor. And its tacky texture keeps salt firmly stuck to your glass for extended periods of time. It also picks up more salt or sugar than juice will.

If you really want to use a lime wedge to deposit lime juice to the rim for salting, feel free to do that as well. Just know, as the lime juice dries it won’t be as tacky, so the salt tends to fall off every time you set the glass down while drinking.

OF NOTE: The salted rim should be done before chilling the glass or the condensation on the glass will prevent the agave and salt from sticking uniformly. Additionally, holding the glass for an extended period of time will completely defeat the purpose of chilling it.

Traditionally, a paloma cocktail is served in a highball glass or a Collins glass. However, you can also use a rocks glass or a stemmed glass depending on personal preference and presentation.

If you decide to use stemmed glasses, like a coupe glass or a Nick & Nora glass, strain the shaken cocktail into an empty, chilled glass. Ice would be precarious. 😉