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Epicurious

Paloma Slushy

A frozen paloma with a slice of grapefruit and a flaky salt rim.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero, Prop Styling by Linden Elstran

Freezing the grapefruit and lime juices ahead of time helps this frozen take on a classic paloma achieve a delightfully thick slushy texture that won’t melt immediately in the summer heat—all without the need to dilute it with extra ice. An overnight freeze is ideal if you have the time, but you can shorten the wait to about 2 hours by freezing the juices in a wide shallow dish to maximize the surface area. Because it’s such a simple mixture of fruit juice, tequila, and sugar, opting for freshly squeezed goes a long way here.

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Recipe information

  • Total Time

    15 minutes (plus 2 hours for freezing)

  • Yield

    Makes 4

Ingredients

12 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
6 oz. fresh lime juice
Kosher salt
Grapefruit wedges (for serving)
8 oz. tequila (such as Patrón)
¼ cup sugar

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Mix 12 oz. fresh grapefruit juice and 6 oz. fresh lime juice in an airtight container; cover and freeze until solid, at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.

    Step 2

    Place some kosher salt on a small plate. Rub the rims of 4 glasses with a grapefruit wedge; reserve wedge for serving. Roll moistened rims in salt to coat. Set glasses aside.

    Step 3

    Working in 2 batches if needed, transfer frozen juice to a blender; add 8 oz. tequila, ¼ cup sugar, and 16 oz. (4 cups) ice and purée until thick, smooth, and slushy. Divide paloma among prepared glasses; garnish each with a grapefruit wedge.

TagsBeveragesCold DrinkCocktailAlcoholGrapefruitCitrusFruitTequilaBon Appétit

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