The Ace Paloma Mocktail (Spicy Grapefruit Sweet Tea Recipe)
Rim the glass before you do anything else, that's half the fun of this one. Grapefruit and lime doing the heavy lifting, sweet tea standing in where tequila usually goes, and a chili-lime bite that hits before the first sip does.
Ten minutes, one glass, gone faster than either.
Prep Time
5 minutes
Total Time
10 minutes
Serves
1
What You Need
- 3 oz Southern Breeze Original Sweet Tea (or Peach), brewed and chilled
- 2 oz fresh pink grapefruit juice
- 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
- 2 oz grapefruit sparkling water or club soda
- Chili-lime salt (Tajin), for the rim
- 1 fresh grapefruit wheel, for garnish
How To Make It
- Rim the glass. Run a lime wedge around the rim of a highball glass, then dip it in Tajin so it sticks.
- Fill it with ice. Pack the glass full.
- Pour it together. Add the sweet tea, grapefruit juice, and lime juice.
- Top it off. Add the grapefruit sparkling water or club soda and stir gently.
- Garnish. Slide a grapefruit wheel onto the rim and it's ready.
Good For
- A tennis tournament watch party, or any afternoon where you want something cold in your hand besides beer or soda
- Taco night, or a Cinco de Mayo spread, since the chili-lime rim was built for that kind of table
- Anyone who likes their drinks tart and a little spicy over sweet and simple
- A pitcher batch for a crowd that'll ask what's in it before they ask for seconds
A Few Tips
- Brew the tea ahead and keep it cold, this one comes together fastest when the tea's already chilled.
- Fresh grapefruit juice matters here more than in most mocktails. The bottled kind tends to taste flat next to the tea.
- Making a batch for a group? Rim each glass individually right before serving so the Tajin stays crisp instead of turning soggy in the pitcher.
- No Tajin on hand? A mix of chili powder, salt, and a little lime zest gets you close enough.
Try It This Way, Or That Way
Original's the build it's made for. Grab Peach instead if you want the tart edges softened a little.
Questions About This Recipe
Is this paloma mocktail sugar free?
The tea itself has no sugar, and nothing here has added sugar as long as your sparkling water or club soda is unsweetened. That said, fresh grapefruit juice carries its own natural sugar, so this one isn't fully sugar free, just free of any added sugar.
Can I use bottled grapefruit juice instead of fresh?
You can, but fresh makes a real difference in this one. Bottled juice tends to taste flatter next to the tea and won't have the same brightness.
What if I don't have Tajin?
Mix chili powder, salt, and a little lime zest for a close substitute, or skip the rim entirely if you'd rather keep it simple.
Can I make this for a group?
Yes, multiply the tea, grapefruit juice, and lime juice for a pitcher, but rim each glass individually right before serving so the Tajin stays crisp.
Tart, a little spicy, and gone faster than you'd think. Grab the tea and see for yourself.
GET THE ORIGINAL SWEET TEA