Paloma Cocktails

Like a margarita, but with grapefruit juice

Every Christmas, my parents leave us a gift basket full of specialty foods and ingredients from Santa. It's always one of my favorite gifts since I never know what's going to be in it and they do a great job of adding in unusual items and surprises. This year, the biggest hit was a bottle of tequila from Casa Dragones, a new small-batch producer that my mom found after it was listed as one of Oprah's favorite things. The bottle looks beautiful on our bar and the tequila is nice and smooth. I put some of it to use in these refreshing paloma cocktails, which are like margaritas but with grapefruit juice instead of lime juice. Served cold, with a little effervescence from a splash of club soda, it's a super light and crushable cocktail that will take off the winter chill. I mix it up by rimming the glasses with a 50/50 split of sugar and salt for extra flavor and a festive vibe.


Related Recipes:
- Jalapeño Margaritas
- Peach & Red Raspberry Sangria
- Kumquatinis


Paloma Cocktails:

• Rub the rim of 4 glasses with a wedge of fresh grapefruit.
• Mix together 1 tbsp. sugar and 1 tbsp. kosher salt and shake into an even layer on a plate.
• Dip the glasses into the sugar-salt to coat the rims. Set aside.
• Combine 1 c. fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, 3 tbsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice, and 3 tsp. sugar in a pitcher and stir until sugar dissolves.
• Stir 2/3 c. tequila blanco into the juice mixture.
• Fill the glasses with ice, then pour in the cocktails. Finish each drink with a splash of club soda.

Serves four