Paloma: A Cocktail for Texas

Paloma is Spanish for “dove,” and this dove has flown right over the border and into the hearts of Texas drinkers in search of something tart and refreshing. Believed to have been invented in the 1950s, possibly at Don Javier Delgado Corona’s restaurant La Capilla in Tequila, Mexico, it’s a simple formula of tequila, lime juice, and grapefruit soda. But as is the case with many regional victuals, it’s endlessly debated: Which grapefruit soda—Squirt, Jarritos, Ting? Which tequila—blanco or reposada? Salted rim or plain? With new interest in Latin American distilling and mixology, some bartenders are opting to supplement the soda with fresh fruit juices, the result of which is sometimes called a Cantarito. Ivy Mix, the owner of Latin-leaning cocktail bar Leyenda in Brooklyn, includes a great version in her new book, Spirits of Latin America.