Tequila cocktails and long drinks are on the rise globally and are predicted to be the hottest cocktail this summer. While the Margarita has already earned its spot as a classic on cocktail menus, there’s another tequila cocktail experts are urging consumers to try: the Paloma, which is much simpler, refreshing and just as Mexican.

In its most classic form, the Paloma is a mix of tequila, grapefruit, soda and lime. The grassy sweetness of tequila, the zesty bitterness of grapefruit, the thirst-quenching fizz of soda – there’s a reason that the Paloma is one of the world’s best long drinks.

A recent survey on Google Trends looked into the most-searched cocktail recipes by state in the US during lockdown, and found that in California it was a Paloma. And where Los Angeles leads, the rest of the world often follows.

Keen to try one? Patrón suggests using its Reposado, which is distilled in small batches and rested in a variety of oak barrels for up to five months. Here’s its recipe for making summer’s hottest cocktail …

Patrón Paloma

60 ml Patrón Reposado
90 ml Grapefruit soda
15 ml Fresh lime juice

• Pinch of salt
• Grapefruit slice for garnish
• Salt rim (optional)

METHOD: Add all ingredients to an ice-filled highball glass and stir. Garnish with a grapefruit slice.

Drinks Digest taste tested Patrón Reposado (RRP $100) recently at a masterclass hosted by Bacardi-Martini Australia Brand Ambassador Joseph Chisholm. The tequila features pineapple, vanilla and caramel notes and we can vouch that it makes an amazing Paloma. It’s a refreshing and delicious drink that’s the perfect way to toast the beginning of summer. Make one at home or order one at venues nationwide including Banisters Hotels and North Bondi Fish in Sydney.

Aged tequila is the new whisky