Our Spicy Grapefruit Paloma is crisp and refreshing with a spicy twist, perfect for the winter-to-spring transition.
What is a Spicy Grapefruit Paloma Cocktail?
We love spicy everything...including cocktails. At first you might think...what a strange combination. A cold beverage that's hot? Trust me, it sounds more complex than it really is. Spicy cocktails are great to pair with sweet and savoury dishes all season long. When spices are combined with the natural sweetness of fruits the lovely sensation you have with every sip is tantalizing.
So where and why did we come up with a spicy grapefruit paloma recipe? Anya and I were out for dinner one evening and our server ended up serving us the wrong drinks. Originally I ordered a classic caesar with vodka. Anya ordered a gin and tonic.
The server returned 15 minutes later with two cocktails. Before we could notice that we were served the wrong drinks, our server had already left. What was in front of us was no caesar or gin and tonic. It was a bright orange-pink cocktail served in a short cocktail glass. I was so intrigued by the overall look of the drink, I didn't even bother to mention the mistake to the server.
After trying this mysterious drink in front of us we picked up on flavours and notes through each and every sip. Robust spicy flavours mixed with a grapefruit like lemonade and topped off with a smooth ice cold tequila. It was absolutely divine! I tried my best to sit through dinner, but the truth is I wanted to come home right away and test a recipe. I wasn't looking to re-create the exact drink we indulged in over dinner, but an inspired version of the cocktail.
This low calorie cocktail is the perfect combination of sweet, sour and spicy. The ingredients are simple and crafting it is a breeze. You could serve this cocktail at a variety of occasions such as:
Summer cookouts
Pool party
Birthday party
Bridal shower
Or just lounging around the house
A traditional paloma cocktail consists of tequila, lime juice, and grapefruit soda. Our recipe is a spicy refreshed version of this classic combination. Here’s what’s in it:
Spicy Grapefruit Paloma Cocktail Recipe
3 Ounces Tequila
1/4 Cup Sparkling Water
1 Tablespoon Chili Honey
Garnish: Spicy Rim Salt
Garnish: 2 Rolled in Spice Grapefruits
Ingredients
Tequila - I love using a silver tequila for palomas. In my opinion, the lighter the tequila for this recipe the better. Gold and aged tequila works well for this recipe as well, but the heat from the chili honey is enough. We used Patron Silver Tequila for this recipe.
Sparkling Water - I used Fever Tree Sparkling Pink Grapefruit Water. I prefer using sparkling water or seltzer instead of soda for less calories. But you can also use sprite or flavored seltzers if you are looking for a little bit more sugar.
Honey - Do not skip this part! It's one of the most important ingredients in our Paloma. We used Hot Raw Honey Infused with Chilis from Drizzle! If you do not have this exact brand in your pantry, try mixing crushed chilis with honey. This works just as well! If you are using soda, try to balance the honey to soda ratio, otherwise the cocktail will become too sweet.
Garnish: Spicy Seasoning - Rim your glass with a homemade blend of spices. This is totally up to you. We used a little chili powder and mixed it with Walter Craft Caesar Rim Salt. We are huge fans of Walter’s. Their caesar rim blend is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. The seasoning is made with flake salt, cane sugar, smoked paprika and other various spices and seasonings.
Garnish: Grapefruit - We rolled the ends of our grapefruit wedges in our homemade blend of spices for an extra spicy kick to our garnish.
Cocktail Instructions & Steps
Crafting this cocktail only requires 7 quick and easy steps:
Step One
Combine tequila and honey, stir until dissolved. Chill in fridge.
Step Two
Add honey and tequila to cocktail shaker. Add Ice and a dash of your homemade spice seasoning. Shake until chilled.
Step Three
Rub a piece of fresh grapefruit along the rim of the glass. Make sure entire rim is coated evenly in grapefruit juice. Rim glass with spiced seasoning.
Step Four
Roll 2 pieces of grapefruit in the remaining spiced seasoning. Set aside.
Step Five
Divide your chilled cocktail mixture equally into two glasses over ice.
Step Six
Top each glass with a splash of sparkling grapefruit soda.
Step Seven
Garnish with spiced grapefruit wedges.
Let us know your thoughts on our spicy grapefruit paloma cocktail.
Preparation Time: 10 Minutes
Cooking Time: 0 Minutes
Serving: Serves 2
