Tequila Sunrise recipe
Orange juice, tequila, and grenadine that sinks to create a sunrise gradient. Simple, beautiful, effective.
Method: Build ·
Glass: Highball glass ·
Time: 2 min ·
Difficulty: Beginner ·
Family: The Highball Family
Ingredients
- 2 oz Tequila Blanco (or reposado for more depth)
- 4 oz Fresh Orange Juice (fresh-squeezed if possible)
- 0.5 oz Grenadine (real pomegranate grenadine, not the neon red stuff)
How to make a Tequila Sunrise
- Fill a highball glass with ice.
- Pour in tequila and orange juice. Stir briefly.
- Slowly pour grenadine down the inside edge of the glass — it should sink to the bottom.
- Do NOT stir after adding grenadine. Let the gradient form naturally.
- Garnish with an orange slice and cherry.
Garnish
Orange slice and a cherry.
Pro tip
The visual is the whole point of this drink, so don't stir after adding the grenadine. Use real grenadine (pomegranate-based) — the artificial stuff is just red corn syrup and tastes like cough medicine. You can make your own: equal parts pomegranate juice and sugar, heated until dissolved.
History of the Tequila Sunrise
The original Tequila Sunrise was created in the 1930s in Tijuana — it used tequila, creme de cassis, lime juice, and soda water. The modern OJ-and-grenadine version was invented in the early 1970s at the Trident bar in Sausalito, California. The Rolling Stones made it famous during their 1972 American tour.
Flavour profile
Fruity, Sweet, Citrus, Tropical
Variations
- Tequila Sunset — Use blackberry brandy instead of grenadine
- Vodka Sunrise — Vodka instead of tequila — less interesting but smoother
- Mezcal Sunrise — Mezcal adds a smoky layer to the sweetness
Practise making the Tequila Sunrise in the free Virtual Bar game.