[Go straight to the recipe.]
I’ve always considered doing a margarita sorbet, but that feels like it would be a sort of a cheat since frozen margaritas are the melty cousins of sorbet anyway. It didn’t occur to me until earlier this year to think about a paloma sorbet.
I’ve had palomas in the past, but it wasn’t until I went to the joint 30th birthday party of my friends Emily and Stephen in Chicago in January (yes, I went to Chicago in January) that I started thinking more seriously about the paloma.
Stephen is a cocktail maker extraordinaire, and he batched his paloma recipe so it could be self-serve throughout the party. It definitely gave me the taste for the combination of grapefruit and tequlia, so I started planning when I would try my hand at the frozen cocktail version of this drink.
What really sealed the deal was the fact that I recently got a new Hurom Slow Juicer to test out. When we made cocktails for the Emily and Stephen’s party, Emily and I juiced all the grapefruits by hand using the OXO Citrus Juicer. While it might be a great juicer after what felt like a million grapefruits, I was very thankful for a fancy juicer to use for the sorbet.
What’s surprising is that this recipe doesn’t actually require that much grapefruit juice. I had a lot of grapefruits though, so I went ahead and juiced them all since I was afraid they were going to start to go bad. Plus, I love grapefruit juice with my breakfast.
Who could resist such a colorful juice? Especially when it turns into such a brightly colored sorbet?
I ended up taking this sorbet over to a dinner party — the first outdoor one of the season, and it was quite a hit. I do have a serving suggestion, however. This sorbet is best enjoyed as a float. One of the things missing from the sorbet itself that you would get in the traditional paloma recipe is the sparkle of the grapefruit soda. So when you’re ready to enjoy this, I’d recommend topping it off with some San Pellegrino Pompelmo (and extra tequila if you like).
Paloma Sorbet
makes 1 quart
Ingredients
2½ cups grapefruit juice
juice from 2 limes
½ cup sugar
½ cup agave
¼ cup tequila
Directions
1. Combine the grapefruit juice, lime juice, sugar, and agave in a large mason jar or liquid-tight container.
2. Shake until all ingredients are combined.
3. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes
4. Add tequila to the grapefruit juice mixture and freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
5. Transfer to a freezer-safe plastic or glass container, and freeze at least 4 hours before serving.