Gelatin Free Herbal Grapefruit Paloma
Bright, citrusy, and just a little herbal, this paloma is the kind of cocktail that makes a regular Tuesday feel like a rooftop happy hour. The real star is the homemade simple syrup, where fresh rosemary and thyme steep together until the syrup turns faintly golden and deeply fragrant — it's a small step that makes a huge difference in the final glass. Many store-bought cocktail mixers and flavored syrups sneak in gelatin-based fining agents or additives, so making your own syrup from scratch with just sugar, water, and fresh herbs keeps everything completely clean. Fresh grapefruit juice and lime juice do the heavy lifting on flavor, while chilled sparkling water gives the whole drink that satisfying, effervescent lift. The salted rim adds a savory contrast that makes every sip taste more complex than the ingredient list suggests. It comes together quickly once the syrup is ready, and the garnish of a fresh herb sprig and a thin grapefruit slice makes it look genuinely impressive with almost zero extra effort.
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Learn more →Ingredients
2 servings
For the herbal simple syrup
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
For the salted rim
- 2 tsp coarse kosher salt
- 1 grapefruit wedge, for rimming
For the cocktail
- 3 oz blanco tequila
- ¾ cup fresh grapefruit juice (from about 1 large grapefruit)
- 1 oz fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)
- 1 oz herbal simple syrup (from above)
- 1 cup sparkling water, chilled
- 1 cup ice cubes
For serving
- 2 small sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme, for garnish (optional)
- 2 thin grapefruit slices, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the sugar, water, rosemary sprigs, and thyme sprigs in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the herbs steep for 10 minutes, until the syrup is fragrant and faintly golden.
- 2
Pour the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer into a small jar or bowl, pressing the herbs lightly to extract their oils. Discard the spent herbs. Let the syrup cool to room temperature before using.
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