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A refreshingly sweet tequila sunrise cocktail that’s easy to make and so pretty too. The colorful layers resemble a beautiful sunrise.
We’ve been working on all kinds of delicious cocktail recipes lately and this easy tequila sunrise recipe is one of our newest favorites.
Table of Contents
What Is A Tequila Sunrise?
Tequila sunrise is a cocktail made with tequila, orange juice, triple sec, and a touch of lime juice to balance out the flavors.
You don’t need any special skills to create the “sunrise” effect. It happens naturally. Grenadine is added to the glass first and this thick, non-alcoholic syrup helps to balance out the tartness of the orange juice. When added to the glass, the grenadine sinks to the bottom and slowly rises up like a sunrise.
The key is not to stir the drink or you won’t have the look of a sunrise.
Why This Recipe Works
- Tequila sunrise is an iconic cocktail: In Sausalito, a city north of San Francisco, bartenders Bobby Lozoff and Billy Rice, made this drink and served it to Mick Jagger, the lead singer of The Rolling Stones. He enjoyed it so much that he ordered these drinks for his fellow bandmates, who ordered more for their entourage. Soon the tequila sunrise became the Stones’ go-to drink while on tour, spreading the cocktail nationwide as they ordered the Tequila cocktail in every town they came across.
- The perfect balance of tart and sweet: Although tequila sunrise is typically a sweet drink, I add a splash of lime juice to counter its sweetness. This, in my opinion, makes this drink exceptional!
- Easy to make extra: This easy tequila sunrise recipe doubles or triples well if you’d like to make more.
- Make it as strong (or not) as you like it: You control the amount of alcohol in this recipe.
- No fancy bar equipment is needed: You don’t need a shaker or a blender to make this simple tequila sunrise recipe.
Tequila Sunrise Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Tequila: Use the kind of tequila you enjoy; Silver, Reposado, Añedo – preferably 100% blue agave.
- Triple sec: This ingredient is an orange liqueur that provides fruity flavors with sweet and bitter notes. Personally, I think any orange liqueur will work. Keep in mind that some orange liqueurs are sweeter or more bitter than others. Triple sec is on the sweeter end. If you feel it’s too sweet, try orange curaço instead! It’s more bitter. That’s the beauty of making your own cocktails. You can start with the standard recipe and tweak it to your specific taste.
- Lime juice: A great addition! The tart lime juice balances out the sweetness of the drink.
- Orange juice: A key ingredient in a tequila sunrise.
- Grenadine: This is a thick non-alcoholic syrup that is heavy and sinks to the bottom of the glass. Grenadine is what contributes to the look of a “sunrise” in this cocktail.
See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.
How To Make A Tequila Sunrise
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
The tequila sunrise is an incredibly easy cocktail to make, but it needs to be made in a specific way to create the “sunrise” look.
- Mix together tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and orange juice in a glass.
Pro Tip: In just about all cocktail recipes, it is best to mix the ingredients in a separate container, then pour them into the drinking glass. This makes sure all of the ingredients are mixed well. Also, if you mix directly in your drinking glass instead of a separate container, you could mess up the appearance of, or garnishes on, your drinking glass.
- Fill a different glass with ice and pour in the grenadine.
- Pour in the tequila and orange juice mixture.
- Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- If you find the tequila sunrise too sweet for you, try adding extra lime juice.
- Experiment with different tequilas. Each one will give you a slightly different outcome.
- Do not stir the cocktail.
Frequently Asked Questions
This refreshing cocktail has a bright, citrusy taste. The sweetness of the grenadine combines with tangy orange juice to make a fruity cocktail
Absolutely! Here’s how I make a tequila sunrise without alcohol:
Mix together 2 ounces of orange juice and 2 ounces of pineapple (or mango juice) in a glass. Fill a separate tall glass with ice and pour in 1/2 ounce of grenadine. Pour the juice mixture into the glass and enjoy!
Just like the sun rises, the sun will also set and a variation of the tequila sunrise is the tequila sunset. Here’s how I make a tequila sunset:
Mix together 1 ounce of tequila and 4 ounces of orange juice in a small glass.
Fill a separate tall glass with ice and pour in 1/2 ounce of blackberry brandy.
Pour in the tequila and orange juice mixture and enjoy!
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this easy tequila sunrise recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Orange juice: Cranberry Jam, Orange Oat Cake, Mini King Cake, Baked Chicken Wings
- Lime juice: Guacamole, Pickled Onions, Mexican Corn Dip, Shrimp Tacos
- Tequila: Margarita, Ranch Water
- Also consider other juices to mix with tequila. 3 parts grapefruit juice and 2 parts tequila with a splash of seltzer or club soda makes a refreshing drink (sometimes called a Paloma).
- Another option is to mix 1/2 ounce of agave syrup for every 2 ounces of tequila and feel free to add in other fruit juices or a squeeze of lime.
- Orange juice and tequila pair very well together. A tall glass of juice with 2 ounces of tequila makes a delicious drink.
- Triple sec: Strawberry Daiquiri
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Tequila Sunrise
Equipment
- Tall glass
Ingredients
- 1 ½ ounces tequila
- ¾ ounce triple sec
- ½ ounce lime juice
- 2 ½ ounces orange juice
- Ice
- ½ ounce grenadine
- Optional: Maraschino cherries for garnish
Instructions
- Mix together tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and orange juice in a glass.
- Fill a different glass with ice and pour in the grenadine.
- Pour in the tequila and orange juice mixture.Do not stir and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- If you find the tequila sunrise too sweet for you, try adding extra lime juice.
- Experiment with different tequilas. Each one will give you a slightly different outcome.
- Do not stir the cocktail.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Good recipe.