Paloma Mocktail
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For a simple yet refreshing non-alcoholic drink, make this Paloma Mocktail recipe! It’s a delicious, naturally sweetened grapefruit drink that’s bubbly, herbaceous, and perfect for summer sipping.
Paloma Mocktail Recipe
With summer just around the corner, it’s time to get ready for pool parties, picnics, and super hot Arizona sunshine! Cue all of the refreshing drinks!
I love mocktails because they’re easy to make, very hydrating, fruity, and of course, non-alcoholic. This mocktail is my twist on a paloma recipe, a popular grapefruit, lime, and tequila cocktail.
This grapefruit mocktail starts with a simple syrup that is infused with grapefruit juice and sage. It tastes so delicious, you may want to prepare a double batch..
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Naturally sweetened. There is no refined sugar in my recipe, so it’s Paleo-compliant.
- Offers better hydration than juice boxes and caffeinated drinks. There are fewer calories, too!
- Easy to customize. You can make just one paloma mocktail at a time, or an entire pitcher full.
Check out some of my other refreshing summertime drink recipes: Coconut Mojito Mocktail and Collagen-Kombucha Slushie Mocktail.
Ingredients
- fresh grapefruits: Any variety or color will work. Pink grapefruit are more sour, and the red are a bit sweeter.
- fresh sage leaves: Sage is a very fragrant fresh herb. If you think it’s only for seasoning your holiday turkey or stuffing, think again!
- seltzer: This bubbly, carbonated water is available plain or in a variety of flavors. Bubly and La Croix both make a grapefruit seltzer that tastes amazing!
- Lemon zest salt – This is for rimming the drinking glasses. I get my lemon zest salt from Jacobsen Salt Co. It’s absolutely delicious, and it tastes fabulous in cooked dishes as well!
How to Make a Paloma Mocktail
The infused syrup is the base for the mocktail. Before you start making your drinks, give the syrup time to cool down to room temperature, or better yet, chill it in your fridge.
Infused Simple Syrup
The infused grapefruit and sage syrup comes together really easily by squeezing juice fresh from the grapefruit, then reducing it over light heat with some sage leaves.
As the grapefruit juice reduces, the natural sweetness and flavor intensify. The sage infuses a bit of herby, earthy flavor, which complements the fruit perfectly.
- Rim the drinking glasses with salt. This is optional, but when the drink flows across the salt, it takes on a completely different flavor profile. Try it – I think you’ll love it!
- Fill the glasses with ice. I think a Paloma tastes the best when it’s really cold, so I use crushed ice. Do you know that crushed ice doesn’t melt as quickly as ice cubes do?
- Add the simple syrup.
- Top the mocktail with seltzer.
- Garnish with a grapefruit slice on the rim.
See? Easy breezy, summer sipping!
Tips for Success
Making the grapefruit paloma is super simple, but here are a few tips to ensure that it also tastes amazing:
- The best flavor comes from fresh ingredients. Fresh squeezed grapefruit juice will taste much better than bottled grapefruit juice.
- To help the salt stick to the rim of the glassware, run a slice of grapefruit along the rim before you dip.
- Keep in mind that as the ice melts, the flavors of your paloma will diminish. This is where a grapefruit slice garnish comes in handy!
Storing and Freezing
Simple Syrup: You can store the simple syrup at room temperature for a couple of days, but it will last for a month or so in the refrigerator. Keep it in a bottle or jar with a tight fitting lid. I use a mason jar.
You can also refrigerate the prepared paloma mocktails, but if you want to do that, do not add ice to the pitcher – it will water down your drinks. Wait to add ice until you are pouring the drinks for serving.
If you have a freezer-safe container, you can freeze the syrup for a couple of months. Honestly though, it’s so easy to make that I just make a fresh batch each time.
Grapefruit Paloma FAQ
No. Because this mocktail includes sugar, it has more calories than grapefruit juice alone. Besides, while grapefruit is a great source of vitamins, it has not been scientifically proven to encourage weight loss.
Absolutely! Just double or triple the ingredient amounts shown in the recipe card, then follow the instructions as written.
Other Fantastic Summer Drinks
I’d love to hear about your experience making this recipe! Please leave a comment and rating below!
Paloma Mocktail
Ingredients
- 1½ cups grapefruit juice from about 2 large grapefruits
- 4-5 sage leaves
- 12 ounces seltzer unflavored or grapefruit-flavored
- 1 cup crushed ice
- 3 tablespoons lemon zest salt optional
Instructions
Optional: Salt Rim the glasses
- Cut the a grapefruit in half and run one piece along the edge of four small glasses. Pour sea salt in a shallow dish and dip each glass in.
Prepare the drink!
- Juice two grapefruits, removing any seeds. Bring the juice to a simmer in a small pan.
- Add 4-5 sage leaves and simmer everything together for about 5 minutes (or until reduced by about a third).
- Remove the leaves and chill the juice in the refrigerator until cold.
- Divide the juice between 4 glasses. Add crushed ice to each glass until ¾ full.
- Top off with Grapefruit flavorful seltzer for a little sparkle!
