Detective Dill Paloma was just settling in for another scorcher in the Duke City when there was a knock on his office door. In walked trouble. It was the kind he’d seen before. It was the kind found at the bottom of a tequila bottle. Dill was ready for it. He reached for a lime and a can of Fresca.Dill Paloma is a name that works best for a hard-boiled gumshoe from a Noir novel, but it also serves as the term for a warm-weather cocktail, perfect for when the temperatures hit 100 degrees. A traditional Paloma is composed of blanco tequila, lime and grapefruit soda. In this variation, I cut back on the soda in favor of fresh-squeezed grapefruit and add dill. The grapefruit juice gives the cocktail a bitter bite that complements both the tequila and the lime. Really, the dill is just there to look pretty. 2 oz. blanco tequila1 oz. fresh lime juice3 oz. fresh grapefruit juice1 can of Fresca or Jarritos1 sprig of dillIceSaltSalt the rim, squeeze the juice, pour over ice, top off a tall glass with Fresca and toss in a sprig of dill. It’s a great alternative to the overplayed Margarita for the tequila-drinker with a story to tell on a hot summer day in Albuquerque. There are eight million cocktails in the Duke City. This has been one of them.
The Dill Paloma
A True Margarita Alternative
2 min read
