Ingredients
- 50 ml (1⅔ oz) 100% agave blanco tequila
- 5 ml (1 tsp) fresh lime juice
- 1 pinch salt
- 100 ml (3⅓ oz) chilled grapefruit soda
- Hard ice, enough to fill the glass
- 1 lime wedge or grapefruit slice, optional
Tools
- 300-400 ml (10-13 oz) highball glass
- Jigger or marked measuring cup
- Bar spoon or long spoon
Method
- Chill the grapefruit soda and glass. Fill the highball with hard ice until the glass feels cold.
- Measure in 50 ml tequila, 5 ml fresh lime juice, and a pinch of salt.
- Pour 100 ml chilled grapefruit soda slowly down the side to preserve carbonation.
- Lift once from the bottom and stir gently two or three turns.
- Add a lime wedge or grapefruit slice if you like, and drink it while lively.
For a first Paloma, measure 50 ml (1⅔ oz) tequila, 5 ml (1 teaspoon) lime juice, a pinch of salt, and 100 ml (3⅓ oz) chilled grapefruit soda. Fill the glass with hard ice, add the soda last, and stir only two or three gentle turns.
If the drink tastes only sweet, do not immediately squeeze in more lime. On the next drink, replace 30 ml (1 oz) of the grapefruit soda with plain sparkling water and leave everything else alone. That makes the result easier to read.
Make the shared baseline first
The IBA Paloma is short. It calls for 50 ml of 100% agave tequila, 5 ml fresh lime juice, a pinch of salt, and 100 ml pink grapefruit soda.
Grapefruit soda brands vary in sugar and aroma, but the baseline is still useful once. Without it, changing the acid, sweetness, tequila, and dilution together makes the second drink harder to diagnose.
Chill the glass and soda, then fill the glass with hard ice. Add tequila, lime, and salt first. Pour the soda down the side and stop after two or three gentle turns with a long spoon.
Grapefruit soda and fresh juice are separate routes
The concise traditional route uses grapefruit soda. Fresh grapefruit juice, syrup, and sparkling water can also make a Paloma, but that version needs a new balance. Replacing 100 ml of soda with 100 ml of juice does not preserve the drink.
If fresh grapefruit is all you have, treat it as a different build. Start with 60 ml juice, 40 ml plain sparkling water, and 5 ml syrup while keeping the lime at 5 ml. Use less syrup when the fruit is sweet and do not force the numbers when it is sharply acidic.
If it is too sweet, replace only 30 ml
A finished fizzy drink is difficult to correct without knocking out its bubbles. Drink what is comfortable and change the next glass.
Use 70 ml grapefruit soda and 30 ml plain sparkling water instead of 100 ml soda. Keep the tequila, lime, and salt unchanged. This is a BloomSipLab starting adjustment for a home drink, not the IBA standard.
Adding lime often leaves the sweetness in place and piles acidity on top. Diluting only the soda makes grapefruit aroma, agave, and carbonation easier to keep apart.
Give each failure one change
If the drink is both sour and sweet, return the lime to 5 ml next time and change only the soda.
If it goes flat, chill the soda, use hard ice, and add the soda last. Two or three turns are enough.
If the alcohol protrudes, check that the glass is full of ice and the tequila was measured at 50 ml. Do not hide it with extra syrup.
A Paloma tastes light but is not a low-alcohol drink. Do not drive after drinking, and avoid alcohol during pregnancy or whenever alcohol is unsafe for you. Grapefruit can also interact with some medicines, so check the label and ask a doctor or pharmacist if uncertain.
Make the 50:5:100 baseline first. For the next Paloma that gets buried under sweetness, change only 30 ml of soda.
What goes wrong and how to fix it
- It tastes only sweet: the soda is sweet or the pour was large. Keep 100 ml total mixer and replace 30 ml with plain sparkling water next time.
- It is both sour and sweet: more lime was added to fight sweetness. Return the lime to 5 ml and change only the soda.
- It goes flat quickly: the soda was warm, the ice was wet, or it was over-stirred. Add cold soda last and stop after two or three turns.
- The alcohol sticks out: there is too little ice or the glass is warm. Fill with hard ice rather than hiding the alcohol with syrup.
Substitutions
- Grapefruit soda tastes too sweet: next time use 70 ml grapefruit soda and 30 ml plain sparkling water. This is a BloomSipLab home adjustment, not the IBA standard.
- Only fresh grapefruit juice: treat it as a separate modern build rather than replacing soda one for one. Start with 60 ml juice, 40 ml sparkling water, and 5 ml syrup, then adjust for the fruit.
- Only reposado tequila: it works, but oak and vanilla notes make the drink rounder and heavier than a blanco version.
- No alcohol: combine grapefruit soda, sparkling water, lime, and a pinch of salt for a grapefruit highball, but do not present it as a classic Paloma.
Cost, time, and difficulty
About US$2-5 per drink with everyday 100% agave tequila and bottled grapefruit soda. A measuring cup and long spoon are enough; no shaker is needed.
FAQ
What is the classic Paloma ratio?
The IBA recipe uses 50 ml tequila, 5 ml fresh lime, a pinch of salt, and 100 ml grapefruit soda. Soda sweetness varies, so make that baseline before changing one component next time.
Does a Paloma use grapefruit soda or grapefruit juice?
The concise traditional build uses grapefruit soda. Fresh grapefruit, syrup, and sparkling water form a common modern route, but they need their own balance and are not a one-for-one swap.
Does a Paloma need a salted rim?
No. The IBA build puts a pinch of salt in the drink. If you like a rim, salt only half so each sip remains optional.
Is a Paloma low alcohol?
No. Fifty milliliters of tequila at about 40% ABV is around or above one US standard drink. A light, sparkling taste does not mean little alcohol.
Can I drink a Paloma while taking medicine?
Grapefruit can interact with some medicines. Check the label and ask a doctor or pharmacist if unsure, while also considering the medicine's alcohol warning.
Sources
- IBA Paloma
Used for the official baseline of 50 ml tequila, 5 ml lime, a pinch of salt, and 100 ml grapefruit soda.
- Patrón History of the Paloma
Used to distinguish the traditional soda build from a fresh-grapefruit version and to avoid overstating disputed origin stories.
- FDA Grapefruit Juice and Some Drugs Don't Mix
Used for the warning about grapefruit interactions with some medicines.