Smokey Pink Paloma
I am loving this warm weather! The bright and sunny days take me back to my days working in Cozumel, Mexico. I was feeling so nostalgic that I pulled out the bottle of fine Tequila i picked up the last time I was there and created this Smokey Pink Paloma.
A Paloma is a traditional Mexican cocktail typically made with grapefruit juice and tequila blanco. I decided to put my own spin on it and give it a sexy, smokey depth by using a Reposado Tequila instead of a Blanco or Silver.
There are 5 distinct types of tequila and I go into depth about them in my Spicy Cucumber Jalapeño Margarita Recipe. Feel free to use whichever tequila you have on hand, but if you’re going for the smokey flavour I highly recommend a good quality reposado.
Not your ordinary paloma
A regular Paloma is a refreshing, tart cocktail but with a few tweaks it is irresistibly my new favourite.
I used the juice from 2 fresh ruby red grapefruits instead of regular grapefruit, or sugary grapefruit soda. This changes the tartness ever so slightly, but also gives it the beautiful pink hue.
A typical Paloma recipe with call for the addition of simple syrup, or white sugar. However, I prefer not to use a lot of refined sugar and don’t normally keep it in the house. So for this recipe I added just a mere teaspoon of a Wildflower honey to the shaker. You could also use agave syrup but again it’s not something I keep in the house normally.
I really wanted to take the smokiness to the next level with this cocktail and was inspired to create a new blend for the rim. I sprinkled flaked sea salt on a plate and grated zest from the fresh grapefruit over top of it. Then to really kick it up I sprinkled a smokey, spicy chili powder over the top. Then I used a lime wedge to wet the rim of my glasses and rolled them in the mixture. It was even more amazing than I had imagined!
Try this Smokey Pink Paloma on a sunny patio
This is my new summer obsession, and I know you’re going to love it too! Whip up this Smokey Pink Paloma for your next BBQ with friends and be sure to let me know how you like it in the comments below.
In the meantime check out these other great cocktails in my Summer Cocktail Series:
Smokey Pink Paloma
Equipment
- Cocktail Shaker
- Grater for Zest
Ingredients
- 2 Grapefruit
- 3 oz Reposado Tequila
- 2-3 oz Club Soda
- 1 tsp Wildflower Honey
- Salt & Smokey Chili Powder For Rim
Instructions
- Sprinkle the sea salt on a plate, grate the grapefruit zest over top and sprinkle with the smokey chili powder.
- Use a wedge of lime to wet the rim of your glasses and roll them in the salt mixture.
- Add tequila, honey, ice and the juice of two fresh ruby red grapefruits to the shaker and shake well.
- Pour into your glasses over ice, and top with club soda.
- Garnish with a half wheel of grapefruit.
- Cheers!
Notes
Hi, I’m Erin. A storyteller, entrepreneur and traveller in pursuit of her dreams and hoping to inspire others along the way. Chasing life and adventures, but never tequila. Read my story here.
