Effervescent, grapefruit, salt
Serve a batch of these bracingly fresh drinks poolside, with guacamole and chips.
The origin of the Paloma (which means “dove”) goes back to legendary bartender Don Javier Delgado Corona, who has been serving up La Paloma at his family’s bar in the dusty town of Tequila for decades. Though some recipes call for blanco (silver) tequila, we love the deep, smooth flavor of reposado here—the woodsy notes wrap around the acidity of the fruit juices to create a cocktail that is tart but polished.
2 ounces (60 ml) reposado tequila (Corralejo)
3 ounces (90 ml) fresh grapefruit juice
½ ounce (15 ml) fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons simple syrup (page 241)
2 to 3 ounces (60 to 90 ml) club soda
Sea salt, to rim the glass
Lime wheel or sage leaf, for garnish
Salt the rim of a chilled rocks glass (technique, page 264), then fill it with ice. Shake tequila, fresh grapefruit juice, lime juice, and simple syrup with ice. Strain into the prepared glass. Top with soda. Garnish with a lime wheel on the rim, or spank a sage leaf and float it on top.