Paloma

Often called the national cocktail of Mexico, the Paloma outsells the Margarita in its homeland by a wide margin. Its roots likely trace to the 1950s, when the American grapefruit soda Squirt was first exported to Mexico in 1955 and mixed with tequila in what locals called a ‘changuirongo.’ The name Paloma — Spanish for ‘dove’ — may reference the popular folk song ‘La Paloma.’ The drink took off in the mid-1990s around the bars of Tlaquepaque near Guadalajara. Tequila, grapefruit soda, and a squeeze of lime over ice — it’s sometimes called the lazy man’s Margarita, but there’s nothing lazy about its bright, refreshing taste.

Medium · 5 min · Sour