Fresh, spicy paloma cocktail made with grapefruit juice and tequila. Most paloma cocktail recipes call for grapefruit soda, but I lightened this one up with club soda and agave nectar.
Scale
Ingredients
Per drink
1 ounce fresh lime juice (which is about 1 lime, juiced)
1/2 teaspoon light agave nectar or 1 teaspoon simple syrup
1 thinly sliced serrano round (1/8th to 1/4th inch wide, a little goes a long way!)
2 ounces fresh grapefruit juice (which is less than 1 grapefruit worth of juice)
2 ounces silver or blanco tequila
1 1/2 ounces grapefruit-flavored club soda or plain club soda
Salt rim and garnish
2 teaspoons kosher and/or sea salt
Lime wedge, for lining the rim
Small grapefruit wedges, for garnish
Instructions
First, prepare your cocktail glass: Pour the sea salt onto a small plate. Run a lime wedge around the rim of your glass and roll the edge of the glass onto the salt. Fill the prepared glass with ice.
In a cocktail shaker or mason jar, muddle together the lime juice, agave nectar and one small slice of Serrano pepper. Fill the shaker with ice, then pour in the grapefruit juice and tequila.
Put the lid on your shaker/jar and shake until the mixture is thoroughly chilled. Pour the blend into your prepared glass. Top off the cocktail with club soda. Garnish with a small wedge of grapefruit.
You can make a few cocktails at once in your cocktail shaker. Just multiply the per-drink amounts as necessary.
No agave nectar at home? You can make simple syrup by combining equal parts water and sugar in a small jar with a lid. Put on the lid and shake until the sugar is dissolved in the water.
Tequila recommendations: Espolón, Milagro or any other 100% agave tequila.
Lacroix makes a grapefruit-flavored club soda (the pamplemousse flavor) that goes great with fresh grapefruit juice.
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