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The vibrant color of this classic. easy-to-make Mexican cocktail made with tequila, fresh OJ, and grenadine makes for an impressive brunch or evening cocktail.

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There are certain classic cocktails everyone should know how to make, and the tequila sunrise cocktail is one of them. This recipe comes from bloggers Vianney Rodriguez and Yvette Marquez, from their book Latin Twist: Traditional and Modern Cocktails. There’s more to drinking tequila than simply shooting it or adding it to mango margaritas or the best coconut margarita ever. You’ll mix the orange juice and tequila together and then add the grenadine, letting it sink to the bottom of the glass, creating a striking trifecta of yellow, orange, red, and sunrise-esque hues with an ideal balance of tartness to sweetness. It’s just as delicious as it is pretty.

What is This Tequila Sunrise Made of

By the looks of it, one would think the Tequila Sunrise would be a complicated recipe, however, it only has three ingredients (not including ice). This simple cocktail has a balanced sweet, tart, refreshing, fruity flavor. Use a really good tequila for this simple drink. Vianney and Yvette recommend a blanco or reposado tequila. I used Patron Reposado mixed with fresh orange juice, minus any pulp. Here are the tequila sunrise ingredients:

Tequila, such as blanco tequila, reposado tequila, or Patron Reposado
Fresh orange juice (though fresh grapefruit juice would also be delicious)
Grenadine
Ice

*Tip: Feeling extra festive? Add maraschino cherries or an orange slice to the side of the glass to garnish your drink.*

How to Make a Tequila Sunrise

This three-ingredient tequila sunrise recipe couldn’t be simpler to make. Here’s how to make one:

Ice, ice, baby. Fill a highball glass with ice.
Combine the tequila and fresh orange juice. Slowly pour the tequila over the ice, followed by the orange juice, and gently stir. Stir the tequila and orange juice BEFORE adding the grenadine or the sunrise effect will be lost.
Create the ombré effect. Make the grenadine Drizzle in the grenadine and let it slowly sink to the bottom. Do not stir or it will lose the sunrise effect.

What is the Difference Between a Tequila Sunrise and a Tequila Sunset?

The tequila sunrise and tequila sunset cocktails are essentially the same drink (some versions have the exact same ingredients). Both contain tequila and orange juice, but sometimes the tequila sunrise features grenadine and sometimes it features a blackberry brandy or crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur)

What is the Origin of the Tequila Sunrise?

The drink’s origin dates back to the late 1930s and early 1940s and was created by a man named Gene Sulit who was a bartender at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel. The original version was made with tequila, lime juice, club soda, and crème de cassis. Then, in Sausalito, California, during the early 1970s, it evolved into the version it’s known as today: a mix of tequila, fresh orange juice, and grenadine.

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

4.89 from 9 votes