Paloma Pops

The citrus trees are all in bloom and as the temperature heats up, the fruit begins to fall from our trees daily. No better way to reward yourself for picking up that fruit than by turning it into a cocktail. Palomas are the lesser known cousin of the margarita and taste fantastic. You find them in many variations of them across the southwest. Traditional, spicy with jalepenos, floral with a rose simple syrup, or even made with gin. While the traditional recipe is on the rocks, we like to freeze the grapefruit juice and enjoy them slushy and cold.

A while back, I started freezing juice into ice pops for mimosas. They were so beautiful and had such an impact. When pouring bubbles over them, the flowers would swirl to the top and they kept the champagne chilled while you sipped. The thought of pouring tequila over the juice pops seemed, well, alarming. So, I turned them into booze pops. They taste delicious, look beautiful and make a statement when added to the paloma. They also melt slower, keeping the drink ice cold.

Palomas are simple to make but the key is fresh pink grapefruit juice. The pink grapefruit is much sweeter and fresh makes all the difference. Think of how a mimosa would taste with Donald Duck orange juice or Tang. No bueno. The Paloma Pops have less alcohol than a traditional paloma and a little more agave nectar which is necessary for them to freeze and hold form. We add them into our cocktail and have the perfect pairing.

Recipe for Paloma Pops:

yields- 8

2 1/2 cups of fresh squeezed pink grapefruit juice *

1/2 cup lime juice

1/2 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup tequila

Thinly sliced fruit and edible flowers. ( I used lime and grapefruit quarters. Edible garden flowers such as pansies, violas, rose petals)

Mix together the liquid ingredients and pour into popsicle molds, including any sliced fruit. Freeze overnight. Once frozen, remove from mold and add edible flowers dabbed with a little water to help stick and refreeze for 1 hour.

Recipe for Palomas:

2 1/2 cups fresh squeezed pink grapefruit juice

1/2 cup lime juice

1/4 cup agave nectar

1 cup tequila

2 cups of ice

Mix all ingredients together through the ice and freeze in a large gallon Ziploc bag. The alcohol will keep this from freezing firmly, you will be able to break it apart easily, almost like a granita. Add the mixture to a blender with ice and enjoy!