· By Cecilia Rios Murrieta
How to make a non-alcoholic Paloma (and where it comes from)
A non-alcoholic Paloma is fresh grapefruit juice, lime, a little agave and sparkling water over ice, in a glass with a salted rim. It takes five minutes. Below is the recipe, a bit of history, and the canned version we built for the nights you don't want to squeeze anything.
What is a Paloma?
The Paloma is tequila, grapefruit soda and lime, with a pinch of salt. Paloma means "dove" in Spanish. In the U.S. the Margarita gets the attention, but in Mexico the Paloma is the everyday tequila drink: at the taquería, the carne asada, the long Sunday lunch.
Nobody agrees on exactly who invented it. Most stories point to Jalisco, the home of tequila, around the middle of the 20th century, when grapefruit sodas became popular across Mexico. What everyone agrees on is the balance: bitter grapefruit, sour lime, a little sweet, a little salt.
Non-alcoholic Paloma recipe
Makes 1 drink. Takes 5 minutes.
You need
- 2 oz fresh pink grapefruit juice (about half a grapefruit)
- 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
- 1/2 oz agave syrup (to taste)
- A small pinch of salt
- 3 to 4 oz sparkling water, well chilled
- Coarse salt or Tajín for the rim
- A grapefruit wedge to garnish
Method
- Rim the glass. Run a lime wedge around the rim of a tall glass and dip it in coarse salt or Tajín.
- Build. Fill the glass with ice. Add the grapefruit juice, lime juice, agave and the pinch of salt. Stir.
- Top. Add sparkling water and give it one gentle stir.
- Garnish with a grapefruit wedge.
Tips that make it taste like a cocktail
- Don't skip the salt in the drink. The pinch inside, not just on the rim, is what makes grapefruit taste brighter and less bitter.
- Add spice. Tequila brings warmth. Without it, a cardamom pod muddled in the glass or a cinnamon stick as a stirrer fills the gap.
- Go easy on the agave. A Paloma should be tart. Start with less and add more.
The ready-to-drink version: JAS® Paloma Libre
Paloma Libre was our first cocktail, and it's personal. Before JAS, I spent years in mezcal and tequila. Grapefruit, lime and cardamom are flavors I found over and over in the mezcales of Oaxaca, so they were the first drink I wanted to rebuild.
It's built from scratch, never dealcoholized: real grapefruit and lime, organic blue agave, and cardamom, cinnamon and anise for the warmth tequila would usually bring. And we added something the original doesn't have: 225mg of KSM-66 ashwagandha, an adaptogen to help you unwind. Read more in What is ashwagandha?
How to serve it
Salt the rim of a tall glass, fill it with ice, pour the can over and add a grapefruit wedge. Thirty seconds, and you have a proper Paloma.
- 50 calories per 8.4oz can
- 8g added sugar, 19% real juice
- Caffeine-free, gluten-free, non-alcoholic
Shop Paloma Libre → 12- and 24-can packs online, with 15% off when you subscribe. 4-packs at select Whole Foods Market, H-E-B and Central Market stores.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Paloma made of?
A classic Paloma is tequila, grapefruit soda, lime juice and a pinch of salt, served over ice in a glass with a salted rim.
What can I use instead of tequila in a Paloma?
Skip it and build the warmth back with spice: a pinch of salt, a cardamom pod or a cinnamon stick. Or use a ready-to-drink non-alcoholic Paloma like JAS® Paloma Libre.
Is a Paloma sweet?
It should be more tart and bittersweet than sweet. Grapefruit and lime lead, with just enough agave to balance.
What does Paloma mean?
Paloma means "dove" in Spanish.
Written by Cecilia Rios Murrieta, Co-Founder & CEO of JAS®.
Have a JAS® and be libre.
