The Paloma

Meet the Paloma: bright, bubbly, a little bittersweet, and basically the margarita’s cooler cousin who just got back from vacation.

It’s our August Drink of the Month because when summer is still very much summering, you need something crisp enough to cut through the heat. The Paloma swaps the margarita’s usual citrus profile for grapefruit, giving tequila a tart, slightly bitter edge that somehow makes the whole thing even more refreshing.

Why we love it:
It’s zingy. It’s bubbly. It’s salty in all the right places. Fresh grapefruit gives the Paloma that perfect sweet tart balance, while the salted rim makes every sip taste just a little more interesting. It’s the kind of cocktail that works beautifully at happy hour, brunch, or after a long match when you’ve stopped caring whether that last ball was actually out.

Recipe:

• 2 ounces tequila blanco

• ½ ounce fresh squeezed lime juice

• 2 ounces fresh squeezed grapefruit juice

• ½ ounce simple syrup

• 1 ounce soda water

• Flaky sea salt and grapefruit wedge, for garnish

How to make it:

• Cut a small notch in the grapefruit wedge and run it around the rim of your glass.

• Dip the rim into a plate of flaky sea salt.

• Add the tequila, lime juice, grapefruit juice, and simple syrup to the glass and stir until combined.

• Fill the glass with ice.

• Top with soda water for that refreshing little burst of bubbles.

• Garnish with a grapefruit wedge and serve immediately.

• Sip somewhere sunny, preferably after pickleball, and enjoy the rare occasion when being a little salty is actually encouraged.