Gabriela Cámara's Paloma

In the spirit of celebrating Cinco de Mayo, we reached out to our friend, Gabriela Cámara, the super star Mexican chef behind the beloved restaurant, Contramar, to give us her recipe for a festive drink.

Her Paloma honors the popular Mexican drink while switching up the traditional mix of tequila, lime, and Squirt for a splash of Aperol and a more grapefruity soda.

"The Paloma is a super-popular drink in Mexico, typically made with tequila, lime, and Squirt or Jarritos, which are grapefruit flavored sodas. Often, it's served in clay cups, and people toss some salt in with the ice, which makes it stay extra cold. This cocktail has been made in lots of forms, and these days it's often updated with freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, club soda, and simple syrup. To be honest, the result is never as good as when you make it the classic way, with grapefruit soda. So we use the best grapefruit soda we can get, so that it still has a natural fruity flavor, and a splash of Aperol for a bitter orange taste that complements the sweet soda." 

Makes one cocktail


1 Tbsp kosher salt
¼ lime
1.5 oz / 45ml tequila blanco
0.5 oz / 15ml Aperol 
30ml freshly squeezed lime juice
Grapefruit soda (preferably Q brand)

Spread the salt on a saucer. Rub the rim of a highball glass with the lime quarter and then dip the rim of the glass in the salt to coat.

Fill a tumbler with ice cubes. Add the tequila, Aperol, and lime juice to the glass. Fill it to the rim with the grapefruit soda, stir briefly to mix, and serve.

(The Permanent Collection team suggests adding a touch of yuzu juice for a extra citrusy-fruity flair!)

 

Photos © Taylor Bennett, 2024