Introducing Paloma Verde - the Green Dove

60ml Silver Tequila

60ml Concentrated Green Tea Infusion (steep five green tea bags in 70 ml of hot water and let cool)

120ml Unsweetened White Grapefruit Juice

120ml Club Soda

Stirred well and served in a highball glass.

 

Paloma  - tequila mixed with white grapefruit juice and club soda - is a more subtle cousin of the margarita. Paloma is Spanish for dove. And like Margarita, Paloma is also a female first name.

Add concentrated green tea infusion to a Paloma, and you get the 'green dove' - Paloma Verde - the world's healthiest cocktail!

And tastiest too, even I say so myself. The bitter-sweet citrus of grapefruit, astringency of green tea, the full-bodied flavor of silver (blanco) tequila, and just a subtle hint of fizz. A character that can at best be described as all-grown-up, for lack of a better word. Light, strong and deep. One really has to spend time with it her to understand.

Oh, and did I mention the looks! Translucent milky green, like absinthe with a tan. And hence the surname.

But beyond the looks, and the taste, what really matters is what's inside.

Grapefruit contains flavonoids that promote weight loss and improve insulin sensitivity.

Green tea is packed with a range of antioxidants. EGCG from green tea is shown to have numerous health benefits including weight loss. And it contains caffeine, which burns fat by increasing the metabolic rate.

As for tequila, studies have shown that moderate consumption of alcohol helps prevent type 2diabetes and heart disease.

All three key ingredients contribute to a healthy carbohydrate metabolism, which in turn translates to flat abs. She's good for you.

But a word of warning: One does find it hard to return to the old diet soda or sugary cocktail after a taste of this bitter-sweet beauty.