Tequila Sunrise

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.

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.

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

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 ½ 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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If you’ve tried this recipe for tequila sunrise or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.

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