The Paloma, whose name means "dove" in Spanish, is a cocktail shrouded in the kind of mystery that makes spirits history so compelling. While its exact origins remain unclear, most cocktail historians trace the drink back to Mexico in the 1950s, a golden era for tequila culture and innovation.

One of the most credible origin stories credits Don Javier Delgado Corona, the legendary owner and bartender of La Capilla (The Chapel) in Tequila, Mexico. Corona was a visionary behind the bar, known for creating drinks that celebrated tequila in unexpected ways. Beyond the Paloma, he's also credited with inventing the Batanga, another tequila classic that showcases his talent for balancing spirit-forward cocktails with complementary flavours.

What makes the Paloma's rise particularly interesting is how it remained largely a regional Mexican favourite for decades before gaining international recognition. Unlike the margarita, which became a global phenomenon, the Paloma stayed true to its roots—a bartender's drink, passed down through cantinas and tequila distilleries, refined by generations of Mexican mixologists who understood the spirit intimately.