Mexico's favourite cocktail, with jalapeño heat — tart, refreshing, and alive.
In Mexico, the classic Paloma is made with Jarritos grapefruit soda or Squirt — fizzy, sweet, and already carbonated. It's a long drink built directly in the glass. The fresh juice version (shaken and strained) is a bartender's adaptation that's more spirit-forward and complex.
Both are valid — they're different drinks. The soda version is easier to make and more refreshing on a hot day. The fresh juice version has more grapefruit bitterness and pairs better with higher-quality tequila. For the spicy version, fresh juice works better because it lets you control the sweetness against the jalapeño heat.
Skip the jalapeño, build directly in a glass over ice: 2 oz tequila, squeeze of lime, top with grapefruit soda (Jarritos or Squirt), pinch of salt. The original, easy version.
Use mezcal instead of tequila. The agave smoke and grapefruit bitterness with jalapeño heat is one of the best flavour combinations in Mexican cocktail culture.
Add 3 fresh strawberries to the shaker alongside the jalapeño. Muddle together, then shake with everything else. The berry-citrus-chilli combination is outstanding.
Skip the jalapeño and add a small handful of blueberries to muddle. A gentler, more fruit-forward variation — great as a brunch cocktail.