5 Paloma Variations for the Holidays
By Living Better on December 17, 2019
The standard Paloma is a refreshing cocktail made with one part tequila and three parts grapefruit soda. Add a splash of lime juice and a pinch of salt, and you’ve got yourself a classic. If you want to impress your friends and family for the holidays, try one of these variations on the traditional Paloma for some added flair to your evening.
1. The Campenella
The perfect blend between bitter and sweet, the Campanella is an Italian take on the Paloma. Take two old fashioned glasses and set them to the side, filled with ice. Place one grapefruit wheel in a cocktail shaker and shake to get the juices going. Add to the shaker 3 oz. tequila, the juice of one small lime, 1/2 oz. honey, and 2 oz. of your favorite Italian bitter apéritif. Add 4 ice cubes to the mixture and shake for about 20 seconds. Strain the mixture evenly between your two old fashioned glasses and add roughly 1 oz. of unflavored soda water to each glass. If desired, garnish with half a grapefruit wheel to serve.
2. The Blood Orange and Thyme Paloma
This variation of the classic Paloma recipe is sure to impress anyone who loves complex flavor variations. Remove and finely chop the leaves from 12 sprigs of thyme. Mix the chopped leaves with 1 tsp. sea salt. Juice 1 small lime into a small bowl and set aside. Run half of the squeezed lime around the rim of a highball glass. Roll the rim of the glass in the thyme-salt mixture to coat. Add 1 oz. of tequila to the glass along with the lime juice, a pinch of thyme salt, and 6 oz. blood orange soda water.
3. The Cantarito
This variation is very close to the original but uses orange, lemon, and lime flavors in addition to grapefruit. If you like salt, rim your collins class with it. Add ice to the glass. Pour in 2 oz. of tequila, 1/2 oz. each of lemon, lime, and orange juice. Fill the rest of the glass with grapefruit soda.
4. The Paloma Brava
This version puts a sweet-and-sour twist on the original version of the Paloma. Fill a collins glass with ice and set to the side. Squeeze the juice from an orange, lime, and grapefruit into a bowl and set aside. Pour 2 oz. of tequila into the collins glass. Add the fruit juices and a pinch of salt. Fill the rest of the glass with grapefruit soda and add honey or agave nectar to taste.
5. The Paloma Paradiso
This version has a tropical spin on the classic drink that is sure to impress! This version uses grapefruit juice, however, instead of grapefruit soda. Again, fill your old fashioned glass with ice. Add 2 oz. tequila, 1 oz. pineapple juice and 1 oz. grapefruit. Add 1/2 oz. each of your favorite cherry liqueur and agave syrup. Stir to incorporate all the ingredients.
Try any one of these variations at your next holiday party. You can serve up a cocktail that will have people talking for years to come!
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