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Today is World Paloma Day! But 22 May not only celebrates a classic cocktail but also its key ingredient: tequila.
Tell me more about tequila…
Tequila is Diageo’s third largest area of business globall. Distilled from blue weber agave, a plant that is native to central Mexico, there are five different classifications of tequila: blanco, reposado, joven, añejo and extra añejo.
Reposado (which has been aged for up to a year) and blanco (which is often called silver and has not been aged) are the two most popular. However, añejo tequila has become more popular thanks to super premium and lifestyle brands like Don Julio and Casamigos.
And it is these brands that are leading growth and opportunity in the market. And this is not surprising, as tequila ticks so many boxes for consumers: it has cross gender appeal; it recruits from beer and wine and also is intrinsically associated with fun occasions.
And talking of fun, tequila is also synonymous with popular and iconic cocktails. Two of the world’s top ten on-trade cocktails are tequila based: the Margarita, Tequila Sunrise. And the Paloma is another Mexican cocktail icon.
Tell me more about the Paloma…
The Paloma is at its most basic a mix of tequila, lime juice and grapefruit soda; refreshing, straightforward and easy to make.
Amongst fans and industry experts there is dispute over the origin of the cocktail and its name.
Some believe the name comes from the Spanish for "dove", but others suspect the name comes from a derivation of the word pomelo, which is the Spanish for "grapefruit” – which is one of the cocktail’s key ingredients.
And its inventor? Again, there is dispute. According to popular cocktail books and websites Don Javier Delgado Corona, owner of La Capilla, the oldest bar in Jalisco, Mexico, is credited as the inventor of the Paloma. Due to Don Javier’s legendary status as the creator of the Batanga cocktail, the theory has gained much authority. But current high-profile New York bartender, journalist and author Jim Meehan has denied in his books that Don Javier ever created the drink.
Whom to believe? And does it even matter? Probably not! The Paloma is a perfect cocktail for the summer, and it makes tequila more accessible to new drinkers into the category.