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Home » Recipes » Cocktails

Grapefruit Paloma

Published: Apr 7, 2023 by Lexi

19 shares
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Overhead of the paloma cocktail topped with a slice of grapefruit and a rim.
Finished palomas garnished with a slice of grapefruit and some flowers.

With grapefruit juice and tequila, this Grapefruit Paloma is a sweet and sour cocktail that's super easy to make and comes together in 5 minutes.

Finished palomas garnished with a slice of grapefruit and some flowers.
Tequila and grapefruit team up in this grapefruit paloma.

If you're a fan of grapefruit, citrus in general, or margaritas (who isn't?!), then this cocktail is definitely for you. We topped off the tequila and grapefruit juice with sparkling water and lime juice, and added a hint of agave to balance out the cocktail.

With a grapefruit zest and salt rim, this cocktail looks as good as it tastes!

Jump to:
  • Why We Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Ingredient Notes
  • How to Make a Grapefruit Paloma
  • Make it for a Crowd
  • Make it a Mocktail
  • Variations to Try
  • Tips and FAQs
  • More Cocktail Recipes to Enjoy
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Reviews

Why We Love This Recipe

  • Quick and easy: All you need for this grapefruit paloma are five ingredients, a cocktail shaker, and 5 minutes. It's that easy!
  • Well-balanced flavors: This grapefruit paloma has a strong citrus flavor thanks to grapefruit and lime juice, but that acidity is balanced out by the kick of tequila and the sweetness of agave. A salt rim also balances everything out.
  • Great for margarita lovers: We're big fans of all kinds of margaritas, and this grapefruit paloma is basically a sparkling grapefruit margarita, with the familiar flavors of tequila, agave, and lime juice.

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this grapefruit paloma:

Paloma cocktail ingredients including tequila and sparkling water.
With just 5 ingredients, this is a super easy recipe.

Ingredient Notes

  • Tequila: We used a silver tequila (brands like Pàtron or Casamigos work) in this cocktail, but other varieties (like añejo) or even mezcal would also be delicious. Just be sure to use a good-quality tequila, since it's the star of the show here.
  • Agave: If you don't have agave on hand, feel free to substitute with simple syrup or honey. Since we're using juice and not soda, this cocktail needs an additional sweetener, otherwise it will be too bitter.
  • Grapefruit juice: We used freshly squeezed grapefruit, but popular brands like Ocean Spray, Simple Truth, and Simply Organic Juice Company all make grapefruit juice. You can use either ruby red or white grapefruit juice, depending on your personal preference. White grapefruit juice will be more tart and bitter than ruby red grapefruit juice. We personally prefer using ruby red in this paloma. If you're using sweetened grapefruit juice, you may want to leave out or reduce the agave.
  • Lime juice: We always opt for freshly squeezed lime juice when we're making cocktails, as it provides a tart and refreshing flavor that really shines.
  • Sparkling water: Any kind of fizzy water would work, including club soda, seltzer, or tonic water.
  • Salt for the rim: We used kosher salt for the rim, but you could also try using sugar instead if you're not a fan of salted rims. A little bit of grapefruit zest adds extra flavor and makes the drink extra pretty, but it's totally optional.

How to Make a Grapefruit Paloma

(1) OPTIONAL: Pour agave, simple syrup, or honey onto a shallow dish and place your glass rim-down in it. On another shallow plate, combine sugar and grapefruit zest, and dip the rim into the mixture to coat.

Left: dipping the glass rim in agave. Right: dipping the glass in the rim mixture.
Rim with agave and grapefruit zest + salt rim.

(2) Combine tequila, grapefruit juice, simple syrup, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice and shake well. Pour the mixture over your rimmed glass filled to the brim with ice.

Left: cocktail in the shaker. Right: straining the cocktail into rimmed glass.
Shake and pour.

(3) Top with sparkling water and garnish with a slice of grapefruit and enjoy!

Left: topping the cocktails with sparkling water. Right: finished palomas.
Top with club soda.

Make it for a Crowd

To make this grapefruit paloma for a crowd, multiply the quantities of the tequila, lime juice, agave, grapefruit juice by 6, which will yield about 52 fl oz of cocktail mixture. Pour the cocktail mixture into a large pitcher filled with a bit of ice.

You can store the pitcher in the fridge until you're ready to serve.

When your guests arrive, rim the glasses (optional) and fill them with ice, then divvy up the mixture into the glasses and top each individual drink with sparkling water.

Make it a Mocktail

To turn this cocktail into a grapefruit paloma mocktail, replace the tequila with an equal quantity of grapefruit juice or grapefruit soda.

Variations to Try

  • Try making this cocktail spicy by using our Jalapeño Simple Syrup instead of agave nectar.
  • Mezcal paloma: Use mezcal instead of tequila, which will result in a smokier, more complex flavor.
  • Frozen paloma: Blend the cocktail mixture (everything except the sparkling water) with ice to make a super refreshing frozen grapefruit paloma.
  • Use a different fruit juice: If you're not a grapefruit fan, try another sour/bitter juice in its place. Pineapple, cranberry, or cherry would all work!

Tips and FAQs

  • Don't shake or stir the sparkling water: To preserve the carbonation in the sparkling water, don't add it to the cocktail shaker with the rest of the ingredients. It should be poured on top of the finished cocktail.
  • Garnish: We love to top off these grapefruit palomas with a wedge of fresh grapefruit, a sprig of herbs, or some fresh flowers. 
  • If you don't like salted rims on your cocktails, try using sugar instead, which will impart a little extra sweetness to your paloma.
  • Infuse your tequila: For extra flavor (and a fun DIY project), follow our guide for infusing alcohol. Jalapeño infused tequila would be delicious in this grapefruit paloma!
Overhead of the paloma cocktail topped with a slice of grapefruit and a rim.
Sweet, sour, and a little bitter, this cocktail is a great summer refresher.

More Cocktail Recipes to Enjoy

  • Finished rum moscow mules in copper mugs with lime and mint garnish.
    Rum Moscow Mule
  • Finished gin sidecar with a lemon garnish and rim.
    Gin Sidecar
  • Finished rum margaritas with lime slice garnish.
    Rum Margarita
  • Front view of the finished French 95 with a lemon garnish.
    French 95

Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or by subscribing to our newsletter.

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Finished paloma cocktails topped with citrus.

Grapefruit Paloma


  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

With grapefruit juice and tequila, this Grapefruit Paloma is a sweet and sour cocktail that's super easy to make and comes together in 5 minutes.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 fl oz silver tequila
  • 2 fl oz grapefruit juice
  • ½ fl oz agave or simple syrup
  • ½ fl oz freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 fl oz sparkling water

Instructions

  1. OPTIONAL: Pour agave, simple syrup, or honey onto a shallow dish and place your glass rim-down in it. On another shallow plate, combine sugar and grapefruit zest, and dip the rim into the mixture to coat.
  2. Combine tequila, grapefruit juice, simple syrup, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice and shake well. Pour the mixture over your rimmed glass filled to the brim with ice.
  3. Top with sparkling water and garnish with a slice of grapefruit and enjoy!

Notes

Tequila: We used a silver tequila in this cocktail, but other varieties (like añejo) or even mezcal would also be delicious. Just be sure to use a good-quality tequila, since it's the star of the show here.

Lime juice: We always opt for freshly squeezed lime juice when we're making cocktails, as it provides a tart and refreshing flavor that really shines.

Sparkling water: Any kind of fizzy water would work, including club soda, seltzer, or tonic water.

Try making this cocktail spicy by using our Jalapeño Simple Syrup instead of agave nectar.

Mezcal paloma: Use mezcal instead of tequila, which will result in a smokier, more complex flavor.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It may vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Category: Cocktails
  • Method: Shaker
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cocktail
  • Calories: 186
  • Sugar: 13.6 g
  • Sodium: 11.7 mg
  • Fat: 0.1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 14.8 g
  • Fiber: 0.2 g
  • Protein: 0.4 g

Keywords: grapefruit paloma

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Hi, we're Lexi and Beth, a mother-daughter team from Michigan. The recipes you'll find here are a reflection of how we bring our family together around the dinner table despite various dietary differences.

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