Preparation
- Fill a highball glass with ice.
- Add the tequila and orange juice and combine.
- Slowly pour in the grenadine and let it sink. Don't stir afterward if you want the gradient.
- Garnish to finish: orange half-wheel or orange zest.
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Tequila · Built in the glass
Tequila and orange juice over ice, with grenadine that slowly sinks down. This creates a red gradient in the glass that looks like a sunrise. Fruity, sweet, and easy to mix.
As of: · California, modern version circa 1970

Up front you taste orange juice, clear and fruity, with a bit of acidity. The tequila stands behind it, bringing its herbal, slightly earthy note. 45 milliliters of spirit to 90 milliliters of juice makes for a mild long drink. The grenadine sits at the bottom of the glass. That's why the drink doesn't taste the same throughout: the first sips are fresh and tart, the last ones noticeably sweeter. There's no bitterness, no herbal notes either. As the ice melts, everything becomes even lighter. In the end, it's mostly fruit and sweetness that remain.
The Tequila Sunrise is a party drink and a good starting point. It tastes like orange juice with a little something extra, and that's exactly why people who otherwise don't drink cocktails like it too. It works best in the afternoon, by the pool or at a barbecue. It's too sweet before a meal. Experienced drinkers quickly find it boring, since there's nothing bitter or spicy to balance it out.
What matters
Pour the grenadine in last, slowly and along the rim of the glass. Don't stir afterward, or the gradient will disappear and everything will turn an even pink. The trick works because the syrup is heavier than the juice. When drinking, keep in mind: the sweetness waits at the bottom. If you'd rather have an even flavor throughout, give it a quick stir and skip the visual effect.

The mix of tequila, orange, and grenadine known today is credited to Bobby Lozoff and the Trident in Sausalito, around 1970. Before that, there was already another Tequila Sunrise with a completely different recipe. The name stayed, the contents changed. The new version spread through connections in the rock music world. But it also became so well known because of the picture in the glass. The red syrup sinks to the bottom and paints the sunrise that gives the drink its name.
In the same direction
Four spirits and an orange liqueur in the same glass, plus lemon, sugar syrup, and a splash of cola. There's no tea in it: the name comes from the color. A long drink that's much stronger than it tastes.
Zum RezeptA Margarita where Grand Marnier stands in for the orange liqueur. You shake tequila, orange liqueur, and fresh lime, then pour it all over ice, into a glass with a half salt rim. Agave, orange, and lime carry the flavor.
Zum RezeptThe Margarita is a short, sour cocktail made from tequila, orange liqueur and lime. It tastes fresh and bold. A half salt rim on the glass is optional, not mandatory — that way you can take every other sip without salt.
Zum Rezept