Highballs · Tequila · IBA official
Tequila Sunrise
Tequila and orange with a grenadine dawn sinking to the bottom
Tequila and orange juice over ice, with grenadine poured last so it sinks and fades upward like a sunrise. Fruity, juicy and gently sweet, with the tequila's agave peeking through. A sunny, easy-going drink for poolsides and long brunches.
- Glass
- Highball
- Ice
- Ice cubes
- Technique
- Built in the glass
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Time
- 2 min
- Strength
- ≈ 11% ABV
Ingredients
- 45 mlTequila blanco1½ oz
- 90 mlFresh orange juice3 oz
- 15 mlGrenadine½ oz
- GarnishOrange half-wheel + Cocktail cherry
≈ 162 ml served · 1.4 standard drinks
Method
- 1
Fill a highball glass with ice cubes.
- 2
Add the tequila and orange juice and stir to combine.
- 3
Slowly pour the grenadine down the inside of the glass and let it sink – don't stir, or you'll lose the sunrise.
- 4
Garnish with an orange half-wheel and a cocktail cherry.
History
An earlier Tequila Sunrise made with crème de cassis and lime is said to have been served in the 1930s at the Agua Caliente resort in Tijuana. The orange-juice version is credited to Bobby Lozoff and Billy Rice at the Trident in Sausalito in the early 1970s; the story goes that the Rolling Stones drank it throughout their 1972 American tour, which made it famous.
- Origin
- Sausalito, California, USA
- First recorded
- 1972
Bartender's notes
- Fresh orange juice makes a dramatic difference – the drink is two-thirds juice.
- A real pomegranate grenadine gives a deeper colour and a less cloying sweetness.
If you like this
Mimosa
Fresh orange and dry champagne, half and half, poured cold
WineBuilt in the glass
Paloma
Tequila, lime and grapefruit soda – Mexico's everyday highball
TequilaBuilt in the glass
Alcohol-freeSt Clement's
Oranges and lemons, bright and bittersweet, poured tall over ice
No alcoholBuilt in the glass
Margarita
Agave, lime and orange liqueur, shaken bright with a salted edge
TequilaShaken