Classic Paloma Cocktail - A Little Spoon

Squeezing a grapefruit over a paloma cocktail in a highball glass

Get the Recipe: Classic Paloma Cocktail

This cocktail has that classic paloma flavor, but it uses fresh grapefruit juice and a splash of grapefruit liqueur and Cointreau, for a more robust and flavorful experience.

5 from 1 rating

Yield1 cocktail

Prep10

Cook2

Total12

Ingredients

3 oz fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
.5 oz (1tbsp) fresh lime juice
1.5 oz blanco or reposado tequila, see FAQs for tequila recs
.5 oz (1tbsp) Giffard pamplemousse (grapefruit) liqueur
.25 oz (½tbsp) Cointreau
2 dashes Scrappy's grapefruit bitters
1-2 oz soda water

Equipment

1 chef or paring knife
1 cutting board
1 citrus juicer or reamer (optional)
1 cocktail shaker
1 Fine Mesh Strainer (optional)
1 Hawthorne Strainer
1 cocktail glass

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Instructions

Optional: If you want a picture-perfect, salt-rimmed glass, paint a thin layer of agave on the glass rim and dip or roll it in kosher salt. (See FAQs)
Then, place your cocktail glass (with or without salt) in the freezer 15-30 minutes before making the paloma, so it can chill. (see notes)
Next, juice the grapefruits and limes for fresh juice. Then, measure out all of the ingredients. Take your glass out of the freezer, add fresh ice into it, and set it aside.
Now, pour everything but the soda water into an empty shaker. Add whole ice cubes to the shaker (see notes) and shake for 30-45 seconds.
Double strain, with a Hawthorne and fine mesh strainer (See FAQs), into the prepared cocktail glass and float soda water on top to finish.
Optional: Garnish with a citrus slice (grapefruit or lime) or an herb (rosemary or basil). If you want to garnish with an herb, pinch the herb by the stem with one hand and slap it against your other hand 2-3 times to release its oils and aroma. Then garnish the cocktail.

Notes

If you forget to freeze your glass in advance, don't panic. Simply, add ice cubes to the glass when you remember and let them chill the glass. Replace with fresh ice before you pour in the cocktail.
If you use crushed ice at any point in this cocktail, it will water the whole thing down. The larger the ice cube(s) you use when shaking or serving, the less surface area there is to melt and dilute your drink. Typically, only very alcohol forward cocktails, like mint juleps use crushed ice.
If you don't have grapefruit liqueur but have access to grapefruit soda, you can go back to a more traditional version. Add 2oz (60ml) of that, instead of the soda water and liqueur.
You can also substitute orange or hibiscus bitters for the grapefruit bitters.

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