IBA
Paloma – IBA
Build ∙ 2 min ∙ 11.9% ABV ∙
A Paloma is a tequila highball built with lime juice, salt, and grapefruit soda, making it Mexico's most popular tequila cocktail. Crisp grapefruit fizz leads, tequila's agave bite underneath, with a salty edge and a clean, refreshing finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Pour Tequila blanco 50 ml into a highball glass, squeeze the Lime juice 5 ml
- Add ice and Salt 1 pinch, fill up with a pink Grapefruit soda 100 ml
- Stir gently
- Garnish with a lime wheel
Tips
- Pre-chill the glass before building — it keeps the grapefruit soda from going flat as it warms.
- Squeeze the lime directly into the glass before adding ice, so the acid mixes evenly rather than floating on top.
- Stir gently, not vigorously, once the soda is added — a hard stir knocks out the carbonation you want.
- Add the salt before the soda so it dissolves into the lime and tequila rather than sitting on the ice.
History
The Paloma – IBA is the codified version of the Paloma recognized by the International Bartenders Association, which added the drink to its official list in 2020 under the New Era Drinks category. This specification fixes exact proportions of tequila, lime juice, and grapefruit soda with a pinch of salt, giving bartenders a single reference recipe for a drink long made informally to individual taste across Mexico.
The Paloma itself has no single documented inventor. Its most likely origin traces to 1955 or shortly after, when Squirt, a grapefruit soda first developed in Phoenix in 1938, began being sold in Mexico and was mixed with tequila by bartenders already accustomed to cutting the spirit with carbonated soda. Don Javier Delgado Corona, longtime owner of La Capilla bar in the town of Tequila, was credited by many as the drink's creator, though he himself denied inventing it, crediting instead only the tequila-and-cola Batanga. The IBA build reflects the standard modern combination of tequila, lime, salt, and grapefruit soda rather than any one bartender's original formula.
FAQ
What is a Paloma cocktail made of?
A Paloma is tequila blanco, fresh lime juice, a pinch of salt, and pink grapefruit soda, built over ice in a highball glass and garnished with a lime wheel. It is stirred gently after the soda is added to keep the fizz, giving a light, sessionable drink at about 11.9% ABV.
What is an IBA cocktail?
An IBA cocktail is one listed among the official cocktails of the International Bartenders Association, a body that maintains a standard reference list of recipes recognized worldwide for competitions and bartender training. The Paloma is one of the drinks on this list.
What is a dirty Paloma?
A dirty Paloma is not part of this recipe; it is a variation some bartenders make by using fresh grapefruit juice and a splash of soda instead of bottled grapefruit soda, giving a less sweet, more bitter profile. This build uses grapefruit soda rather than fresh juice.
What's the secret to a perfect Paloma?
Balance is the key: enough lime and salt to cut the sweetness of the grapefruit soda without masking the tequila. Building it over ice in a pre-chilled glass and stirring gently, rather than shaking, keeps the soda's carbonation intact for a crisp finish.
What ingredients are in a Paloma drink?
Tequila blanco, fresh lime juice, a pinch of salt, and pink grapefruit soda, built over ice in a highball glass and finished with a lime wheel garnish.
