At the Bar: The Paloma Soars with Inspired Twists

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by Elyse Glickman  

     Despite the fact that the Paloma has many origin stories, this cocktail (the name of which translates to “dove” in Spanish) has flown through the past decade, taking agave cocktail lovers for an interesting ride. Difford’s Guide credits its invention to Don Javier Delgado Corona, owner and bartender of bar La Capilla in Tequila, Mexico. Other theories suggest it was inspired by an 1860s folk song or by the entrance of Squirt and Fresca grapefruit sodas into the market during the mid-20th Century.

     Since its inception, the Paloma has been updated in a variety of ways — with Mexican spirits like mezcal, with fruits besides grapefruit, and with house-crafted mixers and syrups the either replace or supplement the familiar grapefruit sodas among them.

      Here, mixologists share their updated takes on this classic cocktail with el Restaurante:

     At Ámbar at the Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park in El Paso, Texas, Michael Padilla, director of F&B Outlets, has created the “Citrus del Sur” cocktail — a creative rendition of a Paloma that swaps the soda for grapefruit simple syrup and fresh grapefruit juice and adds in Gracias A Dios Mango Mezcal to tweak the familiar flavor profile.

     The Painted Bird is the Paloma-inspired cocktail at Pasadena, California’s Hotel Dena — a venue with a Mexican-centric restaurant and Agents Only Bar & Lounge on site. “We love our Paloma riff for its skillful play with the bitter side of grapefruit flavor,” says Destinee Almonte Oliver, events director of Liquid Productions, the hotel’s beverage partner. “Lalo Blanco Tequila is a well-made, clean tequila providing an excellent foundation, while the Select Aperitivo enhances the grapefruit soda, and the chili salt completes the sweet, bitter, salty, acidic, and fizzy package.”

     Cristhian Rodriguez, beverage director at elNico, a new rooftop bar and restaurant at The Penny Williamsburg in Brooklyn, loves “how quickly the Paloma  has become a cocktail structure” and relishes the fact that bartenders are constantly reinventing this popular classic. “As long as it is refreshing, bubbly, and juicy — not to be confused with sweetness, but more about the mouthfeel — I am ready for a Paloma any day,” Rodriguez says. The Guava Chamoy Paloma — one of elNico’s most recent renditions — is inspired by chamoy, one of Mexico’s most common street food condiments, that embodies salty, sweet, sour and spicy tasting notes. 

     Olivier Rassinoux, vice president of the restaurant and bar programs for Patina Restaurant Group’s Paseo at Downtown Disney in Anaheim, California, believes it’s about having fun while balancing ingredients. "In my opinion, when updating a classic like a Paloma, you have to go about the recipe in a playful, elegant way to ensure varied and balanced flavors,” Rassinoux says. His take: The Dove Dope cocktail made with Giffard Pamplemousse Liqueur and Fever-Tree Sparkling Pink Grapefruit soda.  

     At upscale Descanso in Costa Mesa, California, customers who prefer a classic Paloma can order the classic version that features Don Julio Blanco Tequila, lime and grapefruit juices, then choose either Simple Syrup or spicy Fresno Chile Syrup to customize their selection. Another option: the recently debuted Cazuela Alta, “a tableside cocktail experience inspired by Jalisco” that uses Siete Leguas Blanco Tequila as the primary ingredient, mingled with Cointreau, agave nectar and fresh grapefruit and lime juices, then finished with Jarritos Grapefruit Soda and an infusion of luscious fresh fruit.

See recipes for Citrus Del Sur, The Painted Bird, Guava Chamoy Paloma, and Dove Dope below.

Citrus Del Sur

Ámbar at the Pioneer Hotel Pioneer Park, El Paso, Texas  

½ oz Grapefruit Simple Syrup*

½ oz. lime juice

1 oz. grapefruit juice

½ oz. egg white

2 oz. Gracias a Dios Mango Mezcal

Tajin for extra flavor and garnish

      Add all ingredients to tin with ice and shake. Strain into opposite tin and dry shake. Pour into coup glass with half rim of Tajin. Dust foam with a pinch of Tajin.

*To make the grapefruit simple syrup, soak grapefruit rinds in sugar-water mix overnight and strain the next day.  

The Painted Bird

Hotel Dena, Pasadena

1½ oz. Lalo Blanco Tequila

½ oz. Select Aperitivo

½ oz. lime juice

4 oz. grapefruit soda

Build in Collins glass and garnish with chili salt and grapefruit peel.

Guava Chamoy Paloma

elNico, Brooklyn

0.25 oz. pineapple juice

0.5 oz. Almond Orgeat

0.5 oz. Aperol

0.5 oz. Los Siete Misterios Espadin

0.5 oz. Spicy Patron Tequila Silver

0.75 oz. lemon juice

1 oz. Guava Chamoy 

1 oz. Topo Chico Sparkling Water

     Use a lemon wedge to moisten the top inch of the outer rim of a chilled highball glass. Gently roll the double glass in kosher salt to rim half of the glass. Shake off excess salt and use the corner of a folded cocktail napkin to make the salt a consistent thickness.

    In a cocktail tin, add all the ingredients except sparkling water. Fill the glass with 1¼-inch ice cubes and prime with 1 oz of sparkling water. Fill the cocktail tin with 1¼-inch ice cubes. Cover and shake vigorously. Strain the cocktail into the glass.

Dove Dope

Paseo at Downtown Disney

1½ oz. Espolon Blanco Tequila

½ oz. Giffard Pamplemousse Liqueur

½ oz. lime juice

Fever-Tree Sparkling Pink Grapefruit soda

Red chili, for garnish

Chamoy and Tajin rim

     Build ingredients in chamoy and Tajin-rimmed Collins glass over fresh ice. Top with Fever-Tree Sparkling Pink Grapefruit soda. Stir gently to combine. Garnish with red chili.

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