Frozen Beer Paloma

On the hottest days, you may crave an icy beverage—I know I do! This frozen beer paloma will keep you cool. It’s a frosty twist on the paloma cocktail, using tequila, fresh grapefruit and lime juice, and a slightly fruity, bitter beer. 

The ingredients are mixed together, frozen, broken up into slushy chunks, and topped with more beer. Then all you need is a straw that will allow you to mix the slushy periodically while drinking.

Hazy Origins of the Paloma 

When researching the history of the paloma cocktail, I noticed there is quite a bit of misinformation. In 2009, some bartenders falsified the cocktail’s Wikipedia page. The origins are hazy, but it doesn’t seem to have existed prior to 2000. As with many drinks, an unknown provenance, just adds to the mystery, offering something to ponder while sipping on the delicious cocktail.

My Recommendations by Ingredient

Grapefruit: Go with a pink or yellow variety of grapefruit, as they’re sweeter. If your grocery store or farmers market has signs describing the varieties of grapefruit, pick the sweetest one. Duncan, a juicing variety, is what I use since we have a grapefruit tree on our property. Avoid white grapefruit, as they’re bitter and not sweet. There is one exception: Oro Blanco is a hybrid variety of white grapefruit that is very sweet and not bitter.  

Agave: I chose agave over the standard simple syrup as it gives the cocktail a richer and earthier sweetness, but it’s perfectly fine to use simple syrup. Just know that agave is sweeter than simple syrup, so taste the mixture before freezing it. You may need to add 1/4 ounce of simple syrup.

Beer: Go with a light Mexican beer, like Corona or Tecate. They’ll add some crisp, light bitter notes without overpowering the grapefruit and the tequila.

Tequila:  A frozen beer paloma has a lower alcohol by volume than a paloma since it calls for beer and less tequila. When choosing a tequila, a blanco will introduce a slightly sweet, vegetal flavor, but will not overpower the other ingredients in a way an aged tequila will. I opt for Tequila Cazadores Blanco for its fresh taste and budget-friendly price tag.

Instead of Using Ice, Freeze the Cocktail

Instead of using ice to chill the cocktail, which will water it down, I recommend freezing it overnight. Then, break it up into chunks that fit into your glass and pour some beer over it. The presence of the alcohol will prevent the mixture from freezing solid, leaving you with a soft, frozen, semifreddo-like texture.

Frozen Beer Paloma for a Party 

Need to make enough frozen beer paloma for a party? Multiply the ingredients by the number of guests. Pour everything into a gallon zip top freezer bag. Zip it tightly and freeze it for a minimum of 8 hours. 

You can use your hands to break the frozen mixture into chunks right in the bag. Transfer the icy chunks into serving glasses and top them off with an ounce of beer. Give it a stir, garnish it with a grapefruit wedge and a lime wheel, and you’ve got a frozen beer paloma!

Frozen Cocktails to Keep You Cool 

• Frozen Banana Daiquiri
• Pitcher Frozen Margaritas
• Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri
• Frozen Cucumber Margaritas
• Frozen Siesta Cocktail