Pitcher Palomas
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My Pitcher Palomas are citrusy, fizzy, and oh-so-refreshing. Made for a crowd, this grapefruit-meets-tequila cocktail is the ultimate warm weather sip. I love that they’re a low-effort, high-vibe cocktail your summer deserves!
What is a Paloma?
A Paloma shares the same tequila and lime aspect as a margarita, but Palomas are also made with grapefruit soda. It’s a refreshing Mexican cocktail, perfect for sipping in the backyard during warm summer months, served over ice and often accompanied by a lime wedge or a salt-rimmed glass. It’s known for being bright, citrusy, and slightly bitter with a perfect balance of sweet and tart.
The Paloma highlights grapefruit as the star; it’s light, zesty, and the tangy bitterness of grapefruit creates a refreshing drink that’s slightly less sweet than most summertime cocktails.
Why this recipe works:
- What’s not to love?!: The combo of grapefruit and lime is crisp, citrusy, and ultra-refreshing—perfect for warm weather days!
- Entertaining made easy: Just a few ingredients and no cocktail shaker required. The pitcher makes it easy for guests to serve themselves. Just top with soda, garnish, & sip away! More time to mingle with friends and less time worrying about playing bartender.
- Consistent flavor in each drink: it’s efficient, and you know each drink has the perfect balance of grapefruit, tequila, lime, and sweetness!
- Customizable: You can make it with grapefruit soda for simplicity or use fresh grapefruit juice for a craft version.
Foods to Serve with Pitcher Palomas
Or check out this round-up for more recipe ideas!
Table Talk with Tawnie
I love a good cocktail, but it’s funny because my blog doesn’t do a good job at reflecting that love of mine! These Pitcher Palomas will have to kick off fun, summery, cocktail recipes here on Kroll’s Korner! I hope you love this one and I hope it helps make entertaining this summer a delicious hosting win!
Ingredient Notes
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
[INGREDIENTS IMAGE goes below]
- Tequila: Choose a blanco (silver) tequila for the cleanest, crispest flavor—it’s smooth, light, and lets the citrus shine. Any brand you like best!
- Grapefruit: Fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice brings a bright, slightly bitter citrus flavor that’s key to the Paloma experience!
- Lime: Fresh lime juice adds a zippy burst of acidity that balances the sweetness and highlights the tequila. Just like the grapefruit, go for freshly squeezed.
- Simple syrup: A little simple syrup smooths out the grapefruit’s bitterness and gives the cocktail a touch of sweetness. Adjust to taste depending on how tart or sweet your grapefruit juice is.
- Grapefruit soda: Top off your Paloma with grapefruit soda for a fizzy finish! Squirt, Jarritos, or Fresca work well, or you can simply add club soda or sparkling water. It adds fizz and fun with minimal effort.
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Freshly squeezed juices
Juice the limes and the grapefruit; freshly squeezed truly is the best!
Mix & chill
Mix everything together (except the soda) and chill until ready to serve.
Garnish & enjoy!
Pour into prepared glasses, top with grapefruit soda, garnish, & enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Hold the soda/bubbles until serving: don’t add the soda to the pitcher until just before serving. This keeps the cocktail fizzy and fresh instead of flat.
- Taste & adjust: Before serving, give it a quick taste! Pitcher cocktails allow you to tweak the sweetness, tartness, or alcohol level with ease—just stir and adjust as needed.
- Don’t add ice into the pitcher: Add ice to individual glasses rather than the pitcher.This prevents dilution and helps each person get a well-chilled pour.
- Garnish the glasses AND the pitcher: Add citrus slices, fresh herbs, or edible flowers directly to the pitcher to infuse flavor and give it a vibrant, eye-catching look. It makes for a fun presentation with minimal effort.
Storage / Freezing
- With grapefruit soda added: I recommend if you’ve already added in the soda, to consume it within a few hours. The soda will lose its fizz fairly quickly, so for the freshest, fizziest experience, serve immediately after mixing in the soda.
- Without soda added: The base (tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and simple syrup) can be stored in the fridge for up to 2–3 days. Just stir well and add the grapefruit soda right before serving for fresh bubbles.
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Pitcher Palomas
Ingredients
- 2 cups grapefruit juice, strained (fresh) about 4-5 large
- 2 cups tequila (blanco tequila)
- 5 oz. fresh lime juice, ~ 8 limes
- 3 oz. simple syrup
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 cups grapefruit soda (dont add until serving or else it will go flat!) (or sparkling water, club soda. )
- Ice
- for rimming: For the rim of the glass you have options: kosher salt, sugar, Tajin, or mix chili powder & kosher salt.
- garnish: grapefruit wedge, fresh mint
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients: juice the grapefruit and limes.2 cups grapefruit juice, strained (fresh) about 4-5 large, 5 oz. fresh lime juice, ~ 8 limes
- Mix in pitcher: grab a 50 oz. pitcher. Mix the grapefruit juice, tequila, lime juice, simple syrup, and salt. Mix with a bar spoon. (ice and soda added later on, you can add a small handful of ice, just not too much to water it down).2 cups tequila (blanco tequila), 3 oz. simple syrup, 1/2 tsp. salt
- Refrigerate: chill for at least 1 hour or until ready to serve.
- Prep the cocktail glasses: place the salt (or whatever you chose for the rim) on a small plate. Rub a grapefruit wedge around the rim of a highball or rocks glass. Dip the rim into the salt & fill the glass with ice.for rimming: For the rim of the glass you have options: kosher salt, sugar, Tajin, or mix chili powder & kosher salt. , Ice
- Pour: remove the pitcher from the fridge and give it another stir. Pour about ⅔ way into prepared glass, and top with some grapefruit soda until it reaches the top of your glass.2 cups grapefruit soda (dont add until serving or else it will go flat!)
- Garnish: garnish with mint and grapefruit wedge and enjoy!garnish: grapefruit wedge, fresh mint
Notes
- With grapefruit soda added, I recommend that if you’ve already added the soda, you consume it within a few hours. The soda will lose its fizz fairly quickly, so for the freshest, fizziest experience, serve immediately after mixing in the soda.
- Without soda added: The base (tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and simple syrup) can be stored in the fridge for up to 2–3 days. Just stir well and add the grapefruit soda right before serving for fresh bubbles.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
📸 Photography by Creating Kaitlin
