In Mexico, the Paloma outsells the Margarita by a wide margin. It's tequila, lime, a pinch of salt and — crucially — white-grapefruit soda, not pink. Simple, refreshing, three minutes from start to glass. This is how a Mexican bartender makes it back home.
Most European grapefruit sodas are made with pink grapefruit — more bitter, more tart, often with added quinine. They make a perfectly drinkable European-style soda, but they don't make a Paloma the way it tastes in Mexico City or Guadalajara.
In Mexico the iconic grapefruit soda for a Paloma is Squirt — which is made with white grapefruit, softer, sweeter, more aromatic. That's what gives a real Paloma its drinkable, all-afternoon character. We make Chesquitos in Spain to match that exact profile, so you can build a real Paloma here without importing Squirt from Mexico.
Rub a lime wedge around the rim of a highball or Collins glass. Dip the rim in flaky salt or Tajín (Mexican chili-lime salt). Set the glass aside.
Fill the glass with ice cubes. Pour in 50 ml of blanco tequila and 15 ml of fresh lime juice.
Slowly top up with Chesquitos (or your white-grapefruit soda). Pour gently to preserve the bubbles. Give it one slow lift with a barspoon — don't stir hard.
Garnish with a lime wedge and, optionally, a thin slice of grapefruit on the rim. Serve immediately while the soda is still lively.
If you're serving a round at home or at a party, pre-batch the tequila and lime in a jug, then top each glass with Chesquitos as you pour. The soda loses bubbles fast — keep it in the bottle until the last moment.
The classic Paloma above is the most popular version in Mexico. A few common variations:
Mexican variant served in a clay cup, with extra orange juice and slices of grapefruit, orange and lime. Same tequila + Chesquitos base.
Mezcal instead of tequila. Smokier, more savoury, the bartender's favourite.
Add a few slices of jalapeño to the glass before topping with Chesquitos. Pairs beautifully with the citrus.
If you can only find pink-grapefruit soda, add a barspoon of agave syrup to balance the extra bitterness.
1.5 L bottles for bar service, scaled volume pricing, English-speaking team, cold-chain delivery across Spain.
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