Happy Cinco de Mayo! Or, should I say, Cinco de ‘Rona?
Yes, Cinco de Mayo is essentially a holiday manipulated by us Americans to use as an excuse to don sombreros and drink egregious amounts of tequila. Cinco de Mayo is actually the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, a military victory over Napoleon III’s French forces in 1862. Why we celebrate it the way we do is largely unknown.
Let’s face it: we’ve been locked down under quarantine for over a month now and we need an excuse to let loose a little.
Enter: Cinco de Mayo, on a Taco Tuesday of all days.
This is it, y’all. This is what we’ve been training for.
In honor of needing a drink, I’ve decided to forego the traditional margarita recipe (you can actually find my favorite one right here) and opt instead for a tangy and refreshing Paloma.
The Paloma (meaning “dove” in español) is made with tequila, grapefruit juice, lime and soda water (or Squirt soda, if you’re being muy auténtico).
It’s a little sweet, a little sour, a little bitter and a little salty. It’s essentially everything I want in a summertime cocktail. Plus, it pairs beautifully with tacos.
The Paloma
2 oz. tequila (I like reposado best)
3 oz. grapefruit juice
3 oz. soda water (or Squirt soda)
Juice of 1 lime wedge
1 t. sweetener of your choice: agave syrup, sugar, stevia, honey etc.
12 oz. glass
1/8 c. Tajin Clasico Seasoning for the rim (this is a lime, chili and salt seasoning which is, quite honestly, amazing, You can use kosher salt, too)
Sliced grapefruit and lime for garnish
On a small plate, sprinkle Tajin liberally. Wet the rim of a glass with a lime and turn upside down to coat with Tajin. Fill with ice and set aside.
In a shaker, add tequila, lime juice, grapefruit and sweetener to a handful of ice.
Shake to chill and strain into your glass. Top with soda or Squirt. Add garnishes and serve with tacos.
There you have it! I’m wishing you a safe Cinco! Make sure to follow me on Instagram stories for all the festivities!
