The Honey Paloma is an easy and delicious tequila-based drink that's perfect to pair with all of your favorite Mexican dishes! It's also a Weight Watchers and 21 Day Fix cocktail, plus it's gluten-free and low-carb!
Hiya foodies! I hope you're all safe and healthy and well. And if you're lucky enough for all of those things to describe you, then I hope you're also ready to celebrate Cinco de Mayo this week! Because don't we all need and deserve Mexican food and drinks in this time of crisis? Tacos and tequila are basically a comforting blanket of love.
As I write this, it's the first of May, and as some of you may know (ha!), it's my favorite month. It's my and my baby sister's birthday month, the month of celebrating mamas (like my amazing one!) and Cinco de Mayo, which also just so happens to be my little blog's 5th birthday. She's getting so big!
With that being said, before we get on with the show, I did want to take a second to give you, sweet reader, some bottom-of-my-heart gratitude. I seriously love you people. You have no idea how much every single share, recommendation, Insta story, message, email, pin, etc.. means to me. You guys let me do this thing that I love so much, and I'll be forever grateful for that.
So thank you ♥
Normally I would celebrate my blogiversary (just go with it!)/Cinco de Mayo with a new margarita, as I have in the past with the above-pictured Watermelon Margarita, Pineapple Chipotle Margarita and Strawberry Margarita (all solid choices for your feast, btw).
However, after recently joining a cocktail subscription box called Shaker & Spoon (<- affiliate link) (full review coming soon!), and like so many others, spending some time learning more about mixology, I wanted to branch out just a bit this year.
So let's talk about this pretty, pink 21 Day Fix Paloma recipe, which, btw, aside from Cinco de Mayo, would also be amazing to serve at a bridal shower or on Mother's Day!
Word on the street is that the Paloma is the beverage of choice in Mexico. Let me tell you, this margarita lover gets it. It's SO good, you guys. It's light, refreshing and well-balanced - plus I've just always had a soft spot for grapefruit anything. I've often ordered Palomas in restaurants but I had never actually made one myself.
What's in a Paloma Cocktail?
Traditionally the recipe calls for tequila, grapefruit soda and lime juice. It's sweet, a little tart, super refreshing and tequila-y. So it's basically perfect.
Since we don't drink soda around here, I wanted to make a Paloma with all-natural ingredients that was still sweet, but not quite so loaded down with sugar. I swapped the soda for some fresh grapefruit juice (you can also use refrigerated storebought grapefruit juice like Simply Grapefruit) and carbonated water with a honey simple syrup, and you guys, it's SO good! Honey and grapefruit are a match made in heaven!
Side note: I tested this recipe with and without lime juice and ended up leaving it out because this version (which has less sugar to balance out all of that acid) was just better without it 🙂
What does Paloma mean in Spanish?
It means "dove"! The origin of this drink is a bit of a mystery, but many believe that it was named after an old Mexican folk song from the late 1800's called "La Paloma." In case you were curious like me!
Do I need any special equipment to make a Paloma?
Not necessarily! I use a 3 piece cocktail shaker (AKA: a cobbler shaker, like this one <- affiliate link), but if you don't have one on hand, you could use a mason jar or really any leak-proof container.
Which tequila should I use in this Honey Paloma?
I used some Jose Cuervo Especial Blue Agave Silver because that's what I had on hand and it was freaking delicious! Another favorite of mine is Olmeca Altos 100% Agave Plata. If you have a favorite tequila that you use for margaritas, or one that you already have on hand, go for that, otherwise, here's a great list of tequilas that are perfect for a Paloma 🙂
What kind of grapefruit should I use in a Paloma?
You can use any kind of grapefruit in this Paloma, but if you want the juice to be pink, opt for a Ruby Red if you can get your hands on one!
Is this Honey Paloma low-carb?
This honey Paloma has 10 grams of carbs if you use 2 teaspoons of the honey syrup and 16 grams if you use 4 teaspoons.
Is this 21 Day Fix Paloma gluten-free?
This recipe is gluten-free as long as you use a 100% agave tequila (no mixtos!).
What dishes should I serve with this Honey Paloma?
Here's a quick list of some of my favorites to make on Cinco de Mayo (all of which go perfectly with a Paloma)!
- 21 Day Fix Chipotle Pork Soft Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
- 21 Day Fix Salmon Tacos with Deconstructed Guacamole
- Chipotle Copycat Guacamole - Confessions of a Fit Foodie
- 21 Day Fix Make-Ahead Southwestern Breakfast Casserole
- How to Make Healthy Instant Pot Turkey Taco Meat (From Frozen!) {21 Day Fix}
- Black Bean Hummus Taco Dip with Pita Chips {21 Day Fix}
- Healthy Instant Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta
- Cilantro-Lime Chicken Tacos with Avocado Salsa - Carrie Elle
- Taquitos with Easy Cheese Sauce - Confessions of a Fit Foodie
How to Make a Honey Paloma:
Make the honey syrup:
Honey + water + a little heat = Honey Syrup!
Next, add ice and tequila to a cocktail shaker...
Then grapefruit juice and your cooled honey syrup. Now put the lid on your shaker and shake until cold!
Strain into your prepared glass...
Then top off with your seltzer and imbibe, babe!
This drink has become such a regular in our house lately and we can't wait to make it for Cinco de Mayo! Hope you love it as much as we do! Stay safe, healthy and well, my friends!
Don’t forget to save this Honey Paloma recipe to Pinterest! ⇓
Can I ask a quick favor? If you make this Honey Paloma Cocktail recipe, please let me know how it went by leaving a star rating (in the recipe card) and commenting! And if you snap a pic, I’d love for you to tag me @thefoodieandthefix on Instagram so I can check it out! I love seeing what recipes you guys are making!
📖 Recipe
Honey Paloma Cocktail Recipe
The Paloma is an easy-to-make refreshing tequila cocktail that goes perfectly with your favorite Mexican meals! Gluten-free and low-carb!
Ingredients
Honey Syrup*:
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup honey
Paloma:
- Pink Himalayan Salt or Kosher salt (optional, for the rim)
- 1 ½ oz tequila (be sure to use 100% agave if you're GF!)
- 1 ½ oz grapefruit juice (preferable fresh!)
- 1 ½ oz unsweetened grapefruit, lime or plain carbonated water
- 2-4 teaspoons of honey syrup (depending on how sweet you like it! - I used 4 tsp))
Instructions
Honey Syrup:
Add the honey and water to a microwave-safe bowl and heat 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between until it fully combines into a syrup. You can also add the ingredients to a small saucepan and heat over the stove until fully combined into syrup. Either way, this only takes a few minutes.
Salt the rim (optional):
Wet the rim of your glass with grapefruit juice or water (juice works best), then dip in salt. I like to salt half of the glass so it isn't quite so much.
Paloma:
Fill your prepared glass with ice and set aside.
Add the tequila, grapefruit juice, honey syrup and ice to a cocktail shaker and shake about 10 seconds or until your shaker feels very cold. Strain into your glass (just using the built-in strainer in your shaker or a Hawthorne strainer). Top off with your carbonated water, garnish with a slice of grapefruit if ya like and enjoy!
Notes
*Each teaspoon of honey syrup = ½ teaspoon of honey
**1 fluid oz = 2 Tablespoons
21 Day Fix Container Counts: 1 Yellow Drink Swap
Weight Watchers:
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1 Honey PalomaAmount Per Serving: Calories: with 2 teaspoon honey syrup: 139: with 4 teaspoon honey syrup: 160Total Fat: 0g
Mohit Arora says
I loved it really awesome recipe. Really its very useful for me. Thanks a lot for sharing with us.
Stephanie says
I'm so glad you liked it!