In my dead-end search on the origins of the boozy Paloma, I unearthed creative interpretation. And I’m not just talking about grapefruit juice + soda OR grapefruit soda OR a combo of all three.
Although I already knew which zero-proof Palomas I’d be making, the variety of Paloma recipes I came across had me second guessing.
The Punch staff, for example, wrote about how the classic Paloma inspired a range of takes on the drink and included links to boozy Paloma recipes with transformative, zero-proof syrups: spicy molasses, savory red bell pepper, nutty orgeat….
Yes, orgeat can be made spirit-free. So there. Anyway….
The Palomas we sipped on this week were sweetened with basic agave in one hand and a homemade salted rosemary syrup in the other. Spoiler alert. They were both delish!
Salted Rosemary Paloma from Julia Bainbridge’s Good Drinks
- Salted rosemary syrup
- Grapefruit juice
- Lime juice
- Soda water (I used seltzer.)
Palo-no from Camille Wilson’s Free Spirit Cocktails
- Grapefruit juice
- Lime juice
- Agave syrup (from the bottle, not a homemade simple syrup)
- Sparkling water (I used seltzer.)
Equipment: saucepan, fine-mesh strainer, containers/bottles, funnel, citrus press, barspoon