Paloma Cocktail

This popular Mexican cocktail is of disputed origin; thus, we are unlikely to ever really know its history for sure. The main meaning of "paloma" in Spanish is "dove" or "pigeon," and "paloma" is related to "pale/pallid" (see "Word History," below).    

Ingredients:

2 ounces tequila
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons fresh grapefruit juice
pinch of salt
(optional) coarse salt for the rim of the glass, if desired 
2 to 4 ounces grapefruit soda like Squirt or Fresca or fresh grapefruit juice and club soda
ice
slice of lime for garnish

If you want to salt the rim of the glass, add some coarse salt to a small plate. Rub a piece of lime around the rim of the glass, then dip the rim of the glass into the salt, rolling it around to evenly coat it with salt. To a tall glass, add the tequila, lime juice, fresh grapefruit juice and pinch of salt; mix well, then add ice and fill with grapefruit soda. You can just use grapefruit soda, if you'd like, but the fresh grapefruit juice does add flavor, in my opinion, and yes, you can use red grapefruit juice. 

WORD HISTORY:
Pale (Pallid)-This "pale" is the form, most commonly used as an adjective, but also with usage as a verb, that means, "light in color." English has another, unrelated, word of this spelling, meaning "wooden stakes," most commonly used in reference to the vertical stakes attached to horizontal bars/rails to make a fence. The adjective "pale" is related to "pallor," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English from Latin-based French. "Pale" goes back to Indo European "pel/pelh," which meant, "light in color;" thus also in some contexts, "grey/gray." ^ This gave Latin the verb "pallere," meaning "to be or become light in color;" thus, "to be or become pale." This produced the Latin adjective "pallidus," meaning, "of light color, colorless, wan;" thus, "pale." English borrowed "pallidus" from Latin in the late 1500s as "pallid," meaning, "of light color, lacking color, wan, of dull color, ashen;" thus "pale." Prior to that, "pallidus" had passed into Latin-based Old French as "paile" ("light colored, pale") and English borrowed the French term as "pale" in the 1300s and also meaning "light colored, of little or no color (especially in reference to skin complexion)." The verb form of "pale," also in the 1300s, came from the recently borrowed adjective, probably reinforced by "paleir," the French form of the verb, and meaning "to become less in color," later also used figuratively, "to be or become less important."    

^ The British spelling is overwhelmingly "grey," while Americans overwhelmingly use "gray," and Canadians "seem" split on the spelling. When I was younger, I seem to recall "grey" being seen somewhat frequently here in the U.S., and American author Zane Grey's books were quite popular back then, with several made into movies or used for television stories (there was actually a television series, I believe called "Zane Grey Theater"). I've got to believe his name influenced the spelling back then, keeping the "g-r-e-y" spelling in use, and I must admit to being confused how to spell the word until much later ... I'd say until about 4 or 5 days ago. hahaha