How to Make Pomada Menorquina: Original Recipe with Xoriguer Gin

La Pomada is the most Menorcan cocktail there is. There’s no village festival, block party or summer evening on the island that doesn’t start with one. And yet, off the island, almost nobody has heard of it.

The recipe is simple: Xoriguer gin and artisan lemonade. But as with all simple things, the details make the difference.

What is La Pomada

La Pomada was born in Menorca during the period of British rule, when sailors of the English fleet introduced a taste for gin to the island. Menorcans adopted it and mixed it with local lemonade — sweeter and less acidic than Nordic tonics — creating a cocktail completely different from any gin and tonic.

The name comes, according to popular tradition, from the almost creamy texture it has when well made: a pale yellow colour, ice cold, with fine fizz and an aroma that blends the gin’s juniper with the lemonade’s citrus.

Ingredients for a perfect Pomada

For 2 people:

• 100 ml Xoriguer Gin (the original, no substitutes)
• 300 ml artisan lemonade — not lemon soda, real lemonade
• Plenty of ice — the more, the better
• 1 lemon slice to garnish (optional)

The classic ratio is 1 part gin to 3 parts lemonade. For something softer, go 1:4. Stronger, 1:2. But 1:3 is the Menorcan standard.

How to make it, step by step

1. The glass Use a tall, wide glass — a highball or a simple tumbler. The bigger it is, the more ice it holds and the colder it stays.

2. The ice Fill the glass to the top with ice. Don’t skimp. La Pomada has to be very cold from the first sip to the last.

3. The gin Pour the Xoriguer Gin directly over the ice. 50 ml per person — a generous shot. Xoriguer is 38% ABV, lower than most gins, which makes it perfect for long mixed drinks.

4. The lemonade Add the lemonade slowly, taking care not to kill the fizz. Don’t stir hard — just a couple of gentle turns with a spoon to combine.

5. The final touch A lemon slice on the rim of the glass. It’s not decoration — squeezing it in slightly shifts the balance of acidity and makes it better.

The secret is the lemonade

The lemonade makes the difference between a mediocre Pomada and a memorable one. In Menorca, artisan lemonade is used — sweeter, less fizzy and made with real lemon juice, not artificial flavourings.

If you can’t find artisan lemonade, make your own: juice of 2 lemons + 1 tbsp sugar + sparkling water. In 2 minutes you have something infinitely better than any industrial soft drink.

La Pomada at Menorca’s festivals

If you’ve been to the Sant Joan festivities in Ciutadella or any summer verbena in Menorca, you know exactly what we’re talking about: huge plastic tubs full of Pomada circulating through the crowd, glasses filled and emptied non-stop, and the unmistakable smell of Xoriguer mixed with lemonade drifting through the night air.

In that sense, it’s much more than a cocktail. It’s the taste of the island’s festivals.

Where to buy Xoriguer Gin in Menorca

Xoriguer Gin is available at all four s’Aturadeta shops in Mahón and Sant Climent. If you’re taking a bottle home to make Pomada, remember it has to go in checked luggage — it won’t pass cabin security.

Want to pair it with Mahón PDO cheese, sobrasada or honey in a gourmet basket? Build your own basket here.