Drinking Palomas in Greece

I have never met a city that loves its Palomas as much as Greece and I live in Mexico.

For those of you don't know, a Paloma is a classic tequila and grapefruit cocktail that's fruity and refreshing without being too sweet. It's crushable AF and the unofficial cocktail of Mexico.

(Sorry, Margarita. You are delicious but the drink of tourists.)

I order a fair amount of Palomas in CDMX, and I make a lot of them too. My own riff on a Paloma—with mezcal, grapefruit, and rosemary—is one of my most requested and was even the signature cocktail at a friend's wedding.

Palomas are very Mexican and, yet, Athens has adopted it as their own.

Athens Bar Show

A big part of the reason I went to Athens was their annual bar show, which is one of the biggest in Europe. There are speakers and panels and networking sessions but the heart of it is a hundred booths where you can try different spirits—either on their own, or in cocktails.

80% of the booths were serving Palomas this year. With tequila and mezcal, but also with Greek mastika, and rum, and literally anything and everything. There was even a meme about it.

At first, I thought this had to be an official theme. There were just so many. But no! The city just loves them. And, likely because they are delicious, versatile, and easy to make in bulk, it became an easy choice for local brand reps deciding what drink to offer.

Why Greece Loves Palomas

Apparently, the local seltzer brand Three Cents is somewhat to blame for this:

Owned by bartenders, Three Cents’ highly carbonated soft drinks are intended as mixers, made to not lose their flavor and bubbles by being diluted with ice and alcohol, and the drink that inspired it all, back in 2014, was the Paloma.

With a flavor profile that fits the Greek palate perfectly (the most common request for a custom cocktail off the menu is something refreshing, sweet and sour), the Paloma is made with just three ingredients: tequila, lime, and grapefruit soda.

The article goes on to say that, because the classic recipe is so simple, it was easy for people to make at home during the pandemic.

A lot of drinks (and drink trends) have a random confluence of events like this in their origin story.

In this case, it was the convergence of a new beverage brand, a particular palette favored by locals, and a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic.

In other cases, it's a single woman in France inventing a new process for making champagne that basically created the whole industry. Or, because one Japanese dude learned how to make whiskey in Scotland and then returned to create one of the most well-respected whiskey brands in the world.

But, regardless, trends like this have ripple effects...

Why It Matters

I'd stand to bet that Greece drinks way more tequila now than they did a decade ago, which obviously helps the tequila industry (and Mexico, more generally). But, also, who knows how many tourists from other European countries were exposed to tequila and Palomas on trips to Greece and then took those preferences home with them?

I went to a panel at the same bar show with agave bar owners from San Francisco, Copenhagen, and Australia. They talked a lot about how people come to try and eventually love new drinks or spirits—how long it can take, and the ripple effects it can have when they do.

For that SF bar owner (and may others), it was a long road to get Americans to order 100% agave tequila when they were used to drinking 'mixto' for a quarter of the price. Now, it's the default. Even in shitty dive bars!

Meanwhile, Denmark warmed up to mezcal way faster than a lot of Europeans (who usually have to come to it by way of tequila) because there was already a culture of drinking strong, smokey whiskey. For them, it was a much more natural jump than for countries where gin or vodka are the popular girls.

But it all starts with convincing someone to try something new. And, apparently, a couple Greek bartenders deciding to make grapefruit soda.

Make Your Own Paloma

If you haven't tried a Paloma yet, I recommend you get on that! Any agave bar or cocktail bar, and most Mexican restaurants, will make you one.

They'll probably use the classic recipe (see below) but, for those of you brave enough to make your own, I'm including my own riff below.

All you need is four ingredients, ice, and a mason jar. ✨

Ingredients

Classic Paloma The Paloma, Porfa 1.75 oz Tequila 1.5 oz Mezcal 0.25 oz lime juice 0.25 oz lime juice 3.5 oz grapefruit soda (e.g. Squirt) 3.0 oz grapefruit mineral water (see notes) A pinch of salt A splash of tonic water

The classic Paloma is built in the glass - meaning you add and mix everything in the glass you're going to serve it in.

I prefer to pour the non-fizzy ingredients into a shaker first because shaking things changes the texture and I think it complements the bubbles.

You do you!

Directions:

• Rim a tall glass with your salt of choice.
  I use Pink Himalayan Salt for aesthetic reasons and I only rim half the glass so people can better control how much salt they want with each sip.
• Add the mezcal, lime, and ice to a shaker and shake until the outside is cold.
  I think a mezcal joven (aka unaged) works best here and I usually use whatever espadin I have on hand. It doesn't matter though! You can also use a mason jar if you don't have a cocktail shaker.
• Pour over fresh ice into your salted glass.
  Use the biggest chunks of ice you've got to minimize dilution and preserve the bubbles.
• Add ~3oz of grapefruit soda.
  Squirt is the classic choice but I prefer Penafiel's grapefruit mineral water. It's less tart that most grapefruit soda but more flavorful than the sparkling waters from brands like La Croix. This is my not-so-secret ingredient and its available at most Mexican grocery stores, even abroad. (And the sugar free version works just as well as the regular one.)
• Add a splash of tonic water on top.
  I generally dislike tonic but a small amount pairs well with the mezcal and counters the sweetness of the grapefruit for some added minerality.
• (Optional) Garnish with grapefruit wedge and/or rosemary sprig.
  This is for aesthetics but also because the aromas add flavor complexity.

Enjoy! And send me pics if you make your own. 💜