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A refreshing cocktail any time, this blood orange paloma is a twist on the grapefruit classic. Make it for your next party or to unwind after a busy day.

Three glasses of pink cocktail with salted rims and lime slices, ice, a bottle of liquor, lime wedges, and a cocktail jigger are visible in the background.

My husband and I tend to be homebodies, which means instead of spending lots of money on fancy cocktails out, we like to craft drinks at home.

We tend to keep just a few staples in our home bar, so easy drinks like old fashioneds and this paloma cocktail recipe are always on repeat.

The paloma is similar to a margarita, but it is mixed with a citrus soda rather than orange liqueur. Usually the soda is grapefruit, but I love making it with blood orange instead!

Requiring just a few ingredients, it’s so easy to make at home.

Ingredients for paloma

Full list of ingredients with quantities is located in the recipe card.

A bottle of tequila, two limes, a bottle of blood orange soda, and a bowl of sugar are arranged on a light surface, each labeled with its name.

You’ll need:

Granulated sugar, for the rim
Reposado tequila – This kind of tequila is aged for a short time in oak barrels. It is lightly golden in color, and has vanilla notes. The agave flavor is not as sharp as in tequila blanco.
Lime juice
Blood orange Italian soda – Most groceries sell their own version of blood orange soda now, sold by the liter. You can also buy San Pellegrino or A’Siciliana, which is sold in individual cans. For a less sweet option, you can use Spindrift or other flavored sparkling water.

Three glasses of pink cocktail with salted rims and cucumber slices, placed on a light surface with bottles and lime halves in the background.

Equipment

Just a few tools are needed:

Small, flat plate
Lowball cocktail glass
Cocktail shaker
Paring knife, to cut garnish

How to make this recipe

Spread the sugar onto a small plate. It should be in a circle larger than the size of your glass.

Wet the rim of the glass lightly with water, then place the rim into the sugar, pressing and turning the glass in the sugar so it sticks. Fill the glass halfway with ice and set aside.

A hand dips the rim of an upside-down glass in a plate of sugar, with bottles and lime wedges blurred in the background.

A stainless steel cocktail shaker is placed on a countertop with two glasses, a lime wedge, and bottles blurred in the background.

Combine tequila, lime juice, and a handful of ice in the shaker. Place the lid and shake until very cold.

Strain into the prepared glass, then top with blood orange soda. If you like, garnish with a lime wheel or blood orange slice.

A cocktail shaker pours a pink drink into a salt-rimmed glass with ice; bottles and cocktail ingredients are blurred in the background.

That’s it! A quick and easy cocktail option any night of the week.

Note: If you want a sweeter cocktail, add just a little bit of plain simple syrup or agave nectar.

Make it non-alcoholic

Want to make this paloma a mocktail? Happily there are lots of great zero-proof options out there for when you don’t want to imbibe.

If you like smoky flavors, try Ritual Zero-Proof Tequila. My choice is Seedlip Grove 42, which has notes of spice and citrus, so it pairs perfectly in this paloma!

You can also make your own homemade zero-proof spirits for this cocktail or your other favorites.

Three pink cocktails with salted rims and lime slices are in the foreground, with a bottle of tequila and lime wedges in the background on a light surface.

This easy blood orange paloma is sure to be a new favorite!

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