DrinksEasyFree

Tequila Sunrise

Name: Tequila Sunrise
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 60 ml Blanco tequila; 150 ml Fresh orange juice; 1 cup Ice cubes

5 min (5 prep + 0 cook) Easy 1 servings Jalisco

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 26 Mar 2026 · Updated: 29 Mar 2026

Tequila with fresh orange juice and grenadine: sunrise in a glass.

About this recipe

A classic cocktail with blanco tequila, fresh orange juice and grenadine that creates the visual effect of a sunrise. One of the most recognised cocktails worldwide, celebrating the tequila of Jalisco.

History & Origin

The Tequila Sunrise is one of the most famous tequila cocktails in the world, a drink that succeeded in taking the culture of tequila beyond the borders of Mexico and turning it into a global phenomenon. Its history has two versions: the first places its creation at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix around 1930, made with tequila, crème de cassis syrup, lemon and soda. The second and better-known version was born at the Trident Club in Sausalito, California, in 1972, when bartender Bobby Lozoff created the modern recipe with tequila, orange juice and grenadine. This second version took off in 1972 when the Rolling Stones visited the bar during their US tour and liked it so much they requested it at every concert of the tour, informally dubbing it the "Tequila Sunrise Tour". The cocktail owes its name to how the grenadine, denser than orange juice, sinks to the bottom of the glass creating a colour gradient from bright orange to red at the base, imitating the colours of a sunrise. Blanco tequila from Jalisco, distilled from blue Weber agave, is the absolute star of this preparation now served in bars worldwide as a symbol of Mexican culture.

Estimated cost

£4.50

Total cost

£4.50

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

195

Calories

Protein

24g

Carbohydrates

Fat

Fibre

15mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Prepare the orange juice by squeezing 3–4 oranges to get 150 ml of fresh juice. Fresh juice is essential for this cocktail; do not use bottled juice.
2
Fill a highball glass three-quarters full with ice cubes. Pour the blanco tequila over the ice.
3
Pour the fresh orange juice over the tequila and ice. Stir gently with a bar spoon just to combine the tequila and juice.
4
Using a bar spoon or pouring very slowly down the side of the glass, add the grenadine. Watch it sink to the bottom creating the sunrise effect without mixing with the orange.
5
Garnish with an orange slice on the rim and a maraschino cherry inside the glass. Serve immediately without stirring to preserve the visual effect. The drinker can mix it before drinking.

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