Is a Paloma a girly drink?

The Paloma is not a girly drink in the modern, serious cocktail world, even though it is often mislabeled that way by people who judge drinks by color rather than structure. It is actually one of the most balanced, refreshing, and respected tequila-based highballs in Mexico, where it is far more popular than the Margarita. The reason some people call it girly is its appearance: it is often pink from grapefruit soda, served in a tall glass with a salted rim, and tastes bright, citrusy, and slightly sweet, which historically led marketing to code sweet and fruity drinks as feminine. But the build of the drink is anything but delicate. It is built on a solid two-ounce pour of 100% agave tequila, typically blanco, which brings earthy, peppery, vegetal agave notes, combined with tart fresh lime juice and bitter grapefruit soda or fresh grapefruit juice plus club soda. That bitterness from grapefruit makes it complex and adult, not sugary. In Mexico, it is a drink for everyone: construction workers, cowboys, grandmothers, and bartenders after a shift. Calling it girly says more about outdated stereotypes than about the drink itself.