La Paloma is a tequila based cocktail, that has become the most popular in Mexico. Whereas in the United States, the most popular tequila cocktail is the Margarita. La Paloma is both a place in Mexico, and is also the Spanish word for "dove", however, apparently the cocktail itself was first in the Mexican town, Tequila, in a canteen called La Capilla.

Mexicans and others alike find the Paloma to be a very refreshing cocktail – with the addition of grapefruit soda offering little bubbles to tickle your throat. Whilst the preferred tequila addition is the "reposado tequila", any blanco tequila can be used in this cocktail, since a slight deviation from the traditional recipe doesn't matter too much. The addition of the grapefruit soda is very Mexican, since they have a habit of doing things differently to your average Gringo. For the Gringos amongst us, a lemon or a lime would be a fine substitute. All this ingredients yield a curious mix of bitter, sour, sweet, with a touch of saltiness.

Even if you're not too fond of the taste of tequila, you can still enjoy the La Paloma. The adventurous ingredients compliment the tequila nicely. The grapefruit soda comes highly recommended – with Jarritos being a tasty brand of this, you can always use any grapefruit based soda, such as Citra or Fresca. In all likeliness, you have tried the Margarita – and if this is something you find tasty, then the Paloma most certainly comes recommended.