Easy
Citrusy & Sweet
3 Minutes
Highball Glass
Ingredients
The Tequila Sunrise is a popular three-ingredient cocktail, mixing tequila blanco and fresh pressed orange juice, with a float of grenadine (pomegranate syrup).
One look and you’ll be mesmerized – just look at those rays of sunshine! If its layers of color don’t catch your eye, its bright, fresh and citrusy flavors most certainly will.
Aside from the fact it looks and tastes incredible, the Tequila Sunrise is also an easy-to-make cocktail. Being that it’s a built drink means there’s no shaking or fancy bartending tools required. So, let’s get to it!
How To Make a tequila sunrise cocktail
Bar tools you’ll need
Jigger
Bar Spoon
Knife
Citrus Elbow
How to Mix
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Fill a chilled highball glass with ice cubes.
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Cut oranges in half with a paring knife, then slice and save an orange wheel for garnishing later.
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Use a citrus elbow to squeeze the juice from your orange halves.
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Measure the juice with a jigger, then pour the orange juice into your highball glass.
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Measure and pour tequila into the glass.
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Use the back of a bar spoon to carefully pour grenadine directly into the glass. The grenadine will float to the bottom and create a sunrise effect.
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Garnish with an orange wheel and a fresh cherry.
ALL ABOUT THE TEQUILA SUNRISE
The Tequila Sunrise is a popular cocktail made with tequila, orange juice and grenadine (pomegranate syrup). It’s most famous for its stunning layered look, where the grenadine creates a stunning “sunrise effect” as it settles into the orange juice and tequila.
Sweet, rich, tangy and citrusy. The grenadine (pomegranate syrup) takes center stage and gives the tangy orange juice a summer-ripe sweetness. The sweet and tangy flavors here blend well with the sweet, earthy agave notes of tequila.
The original Tequila Sunrise is believed to have been invented in the 1930s in Tijuana, Mexico.
Unlike today’s version, which includes Orange Juice, the original recipe featured Tequila Blanco, Fresh-Squeezed Lime Juice, Crème de Cassis (Blackcurrant Liqueur), Grenadine Syrup, and Soda Water.
Clearly, there’s a notable difference between the classic Tequila Sunrise and the more popular rendition that gained fame in the 1970s.
The modern Tequila Sunrise emerged in June of 1972 at a popular rock n’ roll bar in Sausalito, California. It gained fame when a member of a famous English rock/pop/blues band tried it during their American tour kickoff. The singer of the band not only enjoyed the taste but also how simple it was to prepare while on the road.
By 1973, a Tequila brand started featuring the recipe on its bottles. But that’s not all, a popular American country rock group released a song named after the cocktail.
Use a Centrifugal Juicer for your Orange Juice
If you want to take your cocktails to a whole new level, then you need to use a Centrifugal Juicer to juice your fruits. A Centrifugal Juicer will give your favorite Orange Juice drinks a fluffy texture and an incredible pillowy mouthfeel.
- The original Tequila Sunrise
The original version is said to have been created in the 1930s. Although the two have similarities, they’re also distinctly different. The original Tequila Sunrise is made with Tequila Blanco, Fresh-Squeezed Lime Juice, Crème de Cassis (Blackcurrant Liqueur), Grenadine Syrup, and Soda Water. Try it out and see which one you prefer! - Tequila Sunrise Classic
By swapping out Orange Juice for Lime Juice and Soda Water, and omitting the drink’s signature inverted sunrise, the Tequila Sunrise Classic may lose some visual flair but compensates with its crisp effervescence and zesty lime notes. A must-sip for the summer, check out the recipe for a Tequila Sunrise Classic.
- To show off those the amazing layered, sunrise effect that this drink is renowned for, we recommend serving this drink in a highball glass filled with ice cubes. Add the grenadine as the final ingredient, using the back of a bar spoon to gently pour in the grenadine. It will immediately float to the bottom of the glass, leaving you with a stunning orange and red vertical layered drink.
- To garnish a Tequila Sunrise, we recommend garnishing by floating a fresh cherry and sticking an orange wheel on the rim of the glass.
Tequila Sunrise FAQ
A Tequila Sunrise is made with tequila blanco and orange juice with a float of grenadine syrup to give the drink its famous layered sunrise effect.
For a Tequila Sunrise, you should use Tequila Blanco.
There are five main types of Tequila: Blanco (silver/white), Joven (young/gold), Reposado (aged), Añejo (extra aged), and Extra Añejo (ultra-aged), all of these are a good second choice.
A Tequila Sunrise is made with tequila blanco and orange juice with a float of grenadine (pomegranate syrup), a Tequila Sunset is made with tequila blanco and orange juice and black liqueur (Crème de Cassis) instead of grenadine. The Tequila Sunset, therefore, has a sweet berry taste instead of a tangy grenadine taste.
