FOOD NEWS
The Contentious Origin Of The Paloma Cocktail
BY NIKITA EPHANOV
The Paloma cocktail is just blanco tequila and grapefruit soda, particularly the brand Squirt. With so many variations and no credited creator, it takes on contentious origins.
There is no specific establishment or bartender accredited for the invention of the Paloma. Some cite legendary Mexican bar owner Don Javier, but he refused the credit.
The drink didn’t exist until after 1938, the date when Squirt was first made in Arizona. It’s most likely that fans discovered the soda’s synergy with tequila and word spread.
Advertisements for Squirt as a mixer for tequila appeared around 1950, but that predates when it was officially imported into Mexico. It’s unclear where the Paloma first appeared.
Squirt soda didn't arrive in Mexico until 1955, but some semblances of the drink had already emerged. Regardless, the cocktail became much more prevalent in Mexico than in the U.S.