The paloma can be a mixed drink or a cocktail. It can be casual – in A Cook’s Tour of Mexico, Nancy Zaslavsky proclaimed it “the lazy man’s margarita” – or a mixologist’s signature presentation. Either way, the paloma has a lot to offer.
At Monterey Cookhouse, it’s a cocktail. Bartenders bring a squeeze of citrus, a splash of triple sec and a little agave to the essential ingredients. The result is a sip more refreshing than tart, though it is both. Tequila exists as a hoarse whisper coming from somewhere in the sweet, bubbly tempest of soda. It touches all the senses, with a bitter trace and a salted rim – the perfect warm weather drink.
Mixologists like to dress the paloma, because it takes to freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and other amenities. But as Monterey Cookhouse bartender Marcos Zempoalteca says, “There’s only one paloma.” Fundamental to the concoction are tequila and Squirt. The grapefruit-flavored soda was introduced to Mexico in the 1950s, where the pairing quickly took hold. Writers first noted the paloma as the “national” drink of Guadalajara. Later, spirits writer David Wondrich expanded the honor to the entire nation of Mexico.
It can be as basic as an unmeasured pour of Squirt over tequila, no mixologist necessary. While Zempoalteca compares it to the margarita as a refresher, he adds that there’s one additional ingredient that makes the paloma stand apart.
“The beach,” he says.