Tequila Sunrise

A long, easygoing build of tequila and fresh orange juice, finished with a slow pour of grenadine that sinks to the bottom and blooms upward into the red-to-gold gradient that earns the drink its name. The trick is restraint: it's left unstirred so the layers stay distinct. An earlier drink by this name (with crème de cassis and lime) was poured at the Arizona Biltmore in the 1930s, but the modern version was born at the Trident in Sausalito in the early 1970s and rode the Rolling Stones' 1972 tour into icon status.

RefreshingHighballClassic

Ingredients

  • 1.5 ozTequila Blanco
  • 3 ozOrange Juice(fresh)
  • 0.5 ozGrenadine

Garnish: Orange Wheel

Preparation

Built · Highball · Cubed

  1. 1.

    build

    Fill a highball glass with ice cubes.

  2. 2.

    add

    Pour the tequila and fresh orange juice directly into the glass.

  3. 3.

    add

    Slowly add the grenadine syrup so it sinks and creates the chromatic 'sunrise' gradient. Do not stir.

  4. 4.

    garnish

    Garnish with a half orange slice (or an orange zest).

Flavor Profile

citrus
46%
fruity
43%
sweet
36%
body
26%
dilution
23%
sour
18%