Tequila Sunrise
Fresh tequila and just-squeezed orange juice meet in a glass where grenadine sinks like a golden-red sunrise.
Ingredients
- Tequila, ideally 100% agave45 ml
- Orange juice, freshly squeezed90 ml
- Icefill the glass
- Grenadine, real pomegranate syrup15 ml
- Orange, to garnish (optional)1 slice
- Cocktail cherry, to garnish (optional)1 whole
Method
- Fill a highball glass about three-quarters full with ice cubes.
- Pour the tequila and orange juice straight into the glass and stir briefly.
- Slowly pour the grenadine down the inside of the glass, ideally over the back of a bar spoon, so it sinks to the bottom without mixing.
- Garnish with an orange slice and a cocktail cherry.
- Serve straight away, so the sunrise effect can be enjoyed before the colours blend.
About this drink
The Tequila Sunrise dates back to 1930s Arizona, but it got its iconic look and international breakthrough in 1970s California, helped not least by the Rolling Stones' 1972 tour. The effect works because grenadine is heavier than the rest of the drink and slowly sinks to the bottom instead of mixing in: a little bar physics dressed up as a sunrise.
Questions and answers
Why is it called a Tequila Sunrise?
The grenadine slowly sinks and creates a gradual shift from yellow to red in the glass that looks like a sunrise. Serve it straight away, before the colours blend and the effect fades.
Why is the grenadine poured slowly down the side of the glass?
It keeps it separate from the orange juice instead of mixing in at once, which is what creates the layered sunrise look.
