Mixpert editorial recipe

Paloma

Name: Paloma
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 1/2 fl oz blanco tequila, 40% ABV; 3 fl oz chilled pink grapefruit soda; 1/2 fl oz fresh lime juice; 1 pinch fine salt; 1 cup ice, for serving; 1 wedge fresh lime, for garnish

Grapefruit soda makes the Paloma brisk, bittersweet, and pleasantly sparkling. Fresh lime and a tiny pinch of salt sharpen the fruit without turning this tequila highball into a margarita.

By Mixpert KitchenReviewed for clear measures, practical steps, and nutrition consistency.Our recipe standard

Ready in5 minMakes1 servingCalories · estimated per serving118Total sugar · estimated per serving4g

Pale pink Paloma cocktail with grapefruit, lime, and ice in a highball glass

Legal drinking age · Enjoy responsibly

What you’ll need

Ingredients

1 1/2 fl ozblanco tequila, 40% ABV
3 fl ozchilled pink grapefruit soda · about 90 mL of labeled product counted for nutrition
1/2 fl ozfresh lime juice · about 15 g counted for nutrition
1 pinchfine salt
1 cupice, for serving
1 wedgefresh lime, for garnish · about 7 g excluded from nutrition

Estimated nutrition per serving

118Calories0gProtein5gCarbs0gFat0gFiber4gTotal sugarNot reliably estimatedAdded sugar

Nutrition values are calculated estimates for the listed ingredients, preparation, and serving size. Ingredient brands, substitutions, preparation, and serving size can change the result.

Not reliably estimated: Added sugar — Fever-Tree Sparkling Pink Grapefruit Soda, UK/EU does not report added sugar. Other displayed values remain estimates from their cited records.

Calculation assumptions

One drink uses 1 1/2 fl oz 40% ABV tequila, 3 fl oz Fever-Tree Sparkling Pink Grapefruit Soda (UK/EU product specification: 19 kcal, 4.6 g carbohydrate, 4.5 g total sugar per 100 mL), and 1/2 fl oz lime juice. The soda contains both fruit juice and added fructose, but does not declare their separate sugar contributions; added sugar remains unavailable. Garnish and variable ice dilution are excluded. Ethanol energy is included at 7 kcal/g.

Serving basis: The calculated batch is divided into 1 equal serving.

Finished yield: 5 fl oz before ice dilution; one highball glass.

Estimated alcohol: about 1 U.S. standard drinks. Approximately 98 calories come from ethanol at 7 kcal per gram.

Method: Nutrition is estimated from listed mass quantities or the stated label-volume basis, preparation, and cited composition data. A label-volume equivalent is not a measured gram weight. Actual values vary by brand, produce size, preparation method, and serving yield.

Quality check: database or declared-label energy is checked against macro-derived energy. Variances above 8% are blocked for review unless a documented food-specific or rounding explanation has been approved.

USDA FoodData Central ↗

See modeled quantities and references

blanco tequila, 40% ABV · 42 gBlanco tequila, 40% alcohol by volume · Declared Mixpert product profile · Mixpert declared profile: tequila-40-abv ↗ · Mixpert declared-label set 2026-09-12 (verified 2026-09-15). Included in nutrition.
Calculation basis
Reference serving: 100 g derived basis. Derived from the declared formulation; ethanol energy is calculated separately at 7 kcal/g.
chilled pink grapefruit soda · 90 mL (label-volume basis)Fever-Tree Sparkling Pink Grapefruit Soda, UK/EU · Declared Mixpert product profile · Fever-Tree Sparkling Pink Grapefruit UK/EU product specification, version 3 ↗ · Producer specification dated 2023-07-17, accessed 2026-09-23 (verified 2026-09-23). Included in nutrition.
Calculation basis
Reference serving: 100 mL. The manufacturer specification gives 19 kcal, 4.6 g carbohydrate and 4.5 g total sugar per 100 mL. Fruit juice and added fructose are both present, but the added-sugar share is not declared; it remains unavailable.
fresh lime juice · 15.1 gLime juice, raw · USDA FoodData Central · FDC 168156 · SR Legacy ↗ · FoodData Central SR Legacy April 2018 (verified 2026-09-15). Included in nutrition.
Calculation basis
Reference serving: 100 g. Recipe quantity is converted to grams using the canonical household-measure table before scaling the 100 g record.
fine salt · 0.3 gSalt, table or kosher · USDA FoodData Central · FDC 173468 · SR Legacy ↗ · FoodData Central SR Legacy April 2018 (verified 2026-09-15). Included in nutrition.
Calculation basis
Reference serving: 100 g. Recipe quantity is converted to grams using the canonical household-measure table before scaling the 100 g record.
ice, for serving · 236.6 gWater, tap · USDA FoodData Central · FDC 173647 · SR Legacy ↗ · FoodData Central SR Legacy April 2018 (verified 2026-09-15). Garnish or preparation ingredient is excluded because it is not expected to be consumed.
Calculation basis
Reference serving: 100 g. Recipe quantity is converted to grams using the canonical household-measure table before scaling the 100 g record. Preparation model: garnish not consumed; retained mass fraction 1.
fresh lime, for garnish · 7 gLimes, raw · USDA FoodData Central · FDC 168155 · SR Legacy ↗ · FoodData Central SR Legacy April 2018 (verified 2026-09-15). Garnish or preparation ingredient is excluded because it is not expected to be consumed.
Calculation basis
Reference serving: 100 g. Recipe quantity is converted to grams using the canonical household-measure table before scaling the 100 g record. Preparation model: garnish not consumed; retained mass fraction 1.

Sugar checkThe grapefruit soda supplies most total sugar. Its label does not separate natural fruit sugar from added fructose, so added sugar is shown as unavailable rather than guessed.

Step by step

Make it like a pro.

01
Fill a chilled highball glass with ice. Add the blanco tequila, fresh lime juice, and fine salt; stir briefly to dissolve the salt.
02
Pour in the chilled pink grapefruit soda and give the drink one gentle lift with a bar spoon.
03
Add the lime wedge and serve immediately, while the soda is still lively.

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Tools for This Recipe

Helpful equipment for making this recipe at home.

JiggerOXO SteeL Double JiggerOXO

A compact double-ended measure for consistent drink proportions.

View on Amazon Citrus pressChef’n FreshForce Citrus JuicerChef’n

A handheld press for extracting fresh lemon, lime, and orange juice.

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Easy swaps

If grapefruit soda is unavailable, use unsweetened grapefruit juice plus plain sparkling water and sweeten to taste; this is a different formulation and its nutrition must be recalculated.
Skip the salt if you prefer a softer, more overtly fruity highball.

Mixpert tips

Pour soda last and stir lightly to preserve its carbonation.
A small pinch of salt is enough; a heavy salt rim can dominate the grapefruit.

Good to know

Paloma FAQs

Why does my Paloma go flat quickly?

Grapefruit soda loses carbonation when stirred hard or poured over warm ingredients. Chill the soda and glass, build the tequila, lime, and salt over ice, then add soda last with one gentle lift. Serve immediately; the drink is designed as a sparkling highball.

Can I use white grapefruit soda in this Paloma?

Yes. The recipe uses pink grapefruit soda, while a white grapefruit version may taste sharper or more bitter depending on the brand. Keep the tequila and lime measured, pour the soda cold, and taste before changing the pinch of salt. Nutrition will follow the soda you choose.

Can I make a Paloma with fresh grapefruit juice?

Yes, but you will need sparkling water and usually some sweetness to replace the grapefruit soda. Measure that version separately for nutrition.

Is there a Paloma without tequila?

Yes. Our virgin Paloma combines grapefruit soda, soda water, fresh lime, and a pinch of salt without tequila. Follow that recipe rather than just omitting the spirit from this one, since its mixer proportions and nutrition are different.

Paloma

Make it like a pro.

Tools for This Recipe

Easy swaps

Mixpert tips

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Paloma FAQs

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