Tequila Sunrise Drink Origin
This drink has a colorful appearance and story behind it. It was created by bartenders Bobby Lozoff and Billy Rice in the 1970s at the Trident bar in Sausalito, California. The drink gained major attention and popularity in 1973 after Jose Cuervo put the recipe on the back of its tequila bottles, the Eagles song Tequila Sunrise was released, and The Rolling Stones ordered it across the country during their tour that same year. It was, indeed, the rock and roll party drink! These events made the cocktail go mainstream and cemented its International Bartender Associations inclusion.
The original Tequila Sunrise was served in the 1930s, which consisted of crème de cassis , lime juice, and soda water. It was sparkling and light, with a dark purplish hue nothing like the popular version today that includes orange juice and grenadine. I guess it didnt have any rock and roll bands to help promote it. HA!
What Makes This Drink So Great
- Minimal Dishes If you want, you can pretty much skip any and all dishes to make this recipe. Simply prepare it right in the beer bottle!
- Easy The beer bottle makes it easy to measure without measuring cups, bar spoons, and more. Although, you can use them if you want to be precise like I did.
- Tasty If youre a Corona fan to begin with, then youre really going to love this cocktail.
Recipe Tips And Variations:
- Glassware: The more dynamic, the better. Tall glasses really show off the sunrise.
- Tequila Sunset:;Some variations use grapefruit juice instead of orange juice. Other recipes call for raspberry Chambord, crème de cacao, or even blackberry brandy drizzled over the drink instead grenadine, giving the drink a darker, purplish hue that resembles a sunset.
- Tequila Screwdriver: Make it with tequila, orange juice, and a pinch of salt .
- Grenadine substitute: Feel free to experiment with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses, a splash of cranberry juice, or raspberry syrup instead.
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Tequila Sunrise Cocktail Drink Recipe
I love a good cocktail and even more so if that drink has fresh juice in it. I just love the taste of fresh juice in my drinks so I tend to stick to that pretty much when it comes to my drinks unless I am out to dinner and then I’ll try a fun, signature cocktail. The tequila sunrise is one of those classic drinks that I just believe should be made with the absolute best tequila you can afford and always the best mixers. This really makes a huge difference in the overall taste of your beverage. If you are on a budget, make the first one top shelf. If you are searching for the best tequila for sunrise easy, tequila sunrise cocktail recipe, how to make sunrise drink, tequila sunrise best tequila or even make tequila sunrise drink, then our sunrise alcohol drink is exactly the tequila sunrise drink recipe you need. We hope that you love this Tequila Sunrise Cocktail Drink Recipe.
Definition Of A Tequila Sunrise
According to Wikipedia; the tequila sunriseis a;cocktail;made of;tequila,;orange juice, and;grenadine;syrup. Its served unmixed in a tall glass. The modern drink originates from;Sausalito, California;in the early 1970s after an earlier one created in the 1930s in;Phoenix, Arizona. The cocktail is named for its appearance when servedwith gradations of color resembling a sunrise.
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The Original Tequila Sunrise Recipe
The original tequila sunrise is sparkling, light, and features crème de cassis, a sweet black currant liqueur with a deep red color. To make this drink,;pour;1 1/2 ounces of tequila;and the;juice of half a lime;into a collins glass filled with ice. Top with;club soda, then slowly pour;3/4 ounce crème de cassis;into the drink. Garnish with a;lime wheel and maraschino cherry.
Tips For The Best Tequila Sunrise
Because this tequila cocktail is so straightforward, you want to use the best possible ingredients. Im not saying you have to squeeze the orange juice yourself , but see if you can get your hands on juice thats not from concentrate.;
In that same vein, buy a quality tequila as well. Remember: this drink has just three ingredients, so you want them all to taste good!;
Lastly, its crucial that you do NOT stir the tequila sunrise after youve added the grenadine to it. The grenadine is supposed to sink to the bottom, thus making it look like a sunrise.;
Cuisine:Category:
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Easy Tequila Sunrise Cocktail Alcohol Drinks
Get your sip on with this delicious tequila sunrise cocktail.
Best tequila sunrise recipe that will be crowd pleasing.
Easy sunrise alcohol drink idea that is tasty and delish.
Simple tequila sunrise ingredients that you can shake up today.
Learn how to make tequila sunrise with this quick recipe.
Yummy sunrise alcoholic drink to make for parties, New Years eve, brunch or happy hour.
This tequila sunrise cocktail recipe is great anytime of the day.
Whats in a tequila sunrise drink?
Follow the step by step instructions below for this no fail recipe.
Get ready to make the best tequila sunrise cocktail.
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The Original Tequila Sunrise
We’re taking this Tequila Sunrise back to its original roots but with a twist! A unique blend of flavors make for a simple and gorgeously warm-colored cocktail.
A great variation for the home bartender!
Most people are familiar with;the Tequila Sunrise made with;orange juice and grenadine. ;Our recipe finds its roots right here in Arizona! ;
A bartender at the famous Arizona Biltmore came up with it in the 1930’s at the request of a frequent guest asking for a refreshing tequila drink. ;So he created the now famous Tequila Sunrise.
The orange juice and grenadine version of the popular recipe didn’t come along until the 70’s. ;Our twist to it is to bring it back to the original version: Tequila sunrise without grenadine!
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Why Do People Love This Drink
The popularity of this drink comes from how beautiful it is when you serve it, how good it tastes, and how easy it is to make.
Thats like the trifecta of cocktail recipes. When it looks as good as it tastes, but it doesnt take a professional bartender to make it pretty, thats a great drink. Specifically:
- The sunrise effect is memorable and gorgeous. You dont even need a fruit garnish, although that makes it even prettier.
- The taste is orange and berry, with some agave notes from the tequila in the background. Who doesnt love orange and berry?
- The process of making it is just pouring ingredients into a glass of ice. No stirring or shaking.
The long-standing appeal of orange juice drinks is actually the juice as much as the alcohol. It hydrates your body and provides Vitamin C to prevent or reduce hangover effects. But you still get your alcohol kick, too.
Other orange juice based drinks include;the Screwdriver, the Orange Blossom and the Harvey Wallbanger.
The Tequila Sunrise is a great choice to serve guests who are just social drinkers. Its delicious and theres a high ratio of mixers to spirits in this one.
But its equally popular with more dedicated drinkers. That orange and berry flavor is a very likable combination, even for people who dont love tequila.
If you have a guest who really doesnt like tequila, you can always serve them the Vodka Sunrise. Its virtually the same drink, only with the less flavorful vodka in place of the tequila.
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The obvious sister to the Tequila Sunrise is a Screwdriver, which’ll do the trick if you’re short on tequila but stocked with vodka. Then there’s the Mimosa with OJ and champagne, to which you can even add a teaspoon of Grand Marnier, to give it a backbone.
Photography and Prop styling by Heidi’s Bridge
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Tequila Sunrise Drink Recipe
The Tequila Sunrise is an old classic drink recipe that sticks around because its so tasty. Its also surprisingly easy to pour for such a beautiful drink.;
The Tequila Sunrise is a classic cocktail recipe blending grenadine with tequila and orange juice. Because the grenadine sinks to the bottom, it looks like a sunrise.
The flavor is orange and berry, with notes from whatever tequila you use. And its worth using a small batch grenadine for a fresher taste, since it comes across in this drink.
How To Mix Tequila Sunrise
Tequila Sunrise is one of the easiest drinks you can make, and one that looks fancy at that. Learning how to mix tequila sunrise is easy.
No need to break out the shaker for this drink!
Youll simply add the orange juice and tequila to a glass with ice and stir. After the OJ and tequila are mixed, then slowly add the grenadine syrup.
The syrup will sink to the bottom of the glass, creating the rising sun look youre going for. No need to stir in the grenadine!
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Is Tequila Sunrise Keto
Even though a classic tequila sunrise only has three essential ingredients, two out of those three packs a lot of sugar and carbohydrates. Tequila, being a pure distilled spirit, is a zero-carb alcoholic beverage and is keto-friendly.;
However, orange juice and grenadine syrup are high in carbs and are not keto-friendly. In particular, grenadine syrup has a significantly high sugar content, and just a tablespoon packs about 13.4 grams of net carbs!
It means that the total combined carbs of the three ingredients of the classic can probably cover most of your daily carb allowance. Of course, you don’t want this one cocktail to take up most of your daily carb limit. You have to be wise and allocate the carb allowance properly.
Why People Love This Drink
This show stopping adult beverage is usually served in a highball glass over ice and is a gorgeous display. You can use this Tequila Sunrise recipe to wow your friends. The key to its beauty is that you cant stir it.;
Serve this drink and its sunrise effect on a hot day, and dont skimp on the ice cubes.
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What’s The Difference Between A Tequila Sunrise And A Tequila Sunset
Quite often, tequila sunset is just another name for a tequila sunrise. Then again, it can be an entirely different recipe. Some use grapefruit juice instead of orange, while others use a blend of pineapple and orange. In all of those, though, the grenadine is at the bottom, just like in a sunrise.
For the opposite effect that places a red layer at the top of the drink , you’ll need to use a lighter ingredient than straight grenadine. One option is to mix a little soda with grenadine before adding it to the tequila mix. Blackberry brandy is commonly used as a substitute for grenadine in a tequila sunset, and most brands should be light enough to float on top. Other red liquors may work as well, depending on their specific gravity. You could even use dark rum; mix it with food coloring if you really want the red layer. With all of these tequila sunset options, pour the top layer over the back of a barspoon so it floats.
How To Make Tequila Sunrise
We’ll start by getting our cocktail glasses and adding the orange & lime juice, creme de cassis, tequila& simple syrup. Fill your glass with crushed ice then add the splash of triple sec & club soda. Mix well and that’s it!
Make a large batch of this cocktail for parties just by mixing all ingredients except the triple sec & club soda. You can add the splash when you serve each individual glass.
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Tequila Sunrise Layered Cocktail
An easy layered cocktail, the tequila sunrise combines a few simple ingredients layered to create a pretty tropical drink you can enjoy any time of the year. Read on to learn how to layer a drink and a few ways to enjoy this classic tequila cocktail.
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The presentation and look of a drink is almost as important as how it tastes. Of course it needs to taste good, but a little extra attention paid to presentation can make a big difference.
Should Tequila Be Refrigerated
The simple answer is no you do not need to refrigerate or even freeze Tequila once you open the bottle.
Distilled spirits like rum, tequila, Licor 43, vodka, or gin are perfectly fine when stored at room temperature or just a little bit lower.
Store them in a dark and cool place and you can use them for years.
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What Is The Difference Between A Tequila Sunrise And A Tequila Sunset
A tequila Sunset has the same ingredients as the original Tequila Sunrise, but with a splash of soda water mixed with grenadine to give the drink a red hue at the top instead of the bottom.; Others like to use blackberry brandy in place of the grenadine in the sunset version.
- If desired garnish with orange slice and a maraschino cherry.
How Much Tequila Sunrise Can I Drink While On A Keto Diet
Since a classic tequila sunrise is very high in carbs and can kick you out of ketosis, the only option will be the keto-friendly version. Excluding the orange slice as an optional garnish, a keto-friendly version of the tequila sunrise can contain about one to two grams of net carbs.;
This makes it very low on carbohydrates, but keep in mind that this cocktail is still alcoholic. As an alcoholic beverage, the moderate consumption amount still applies. Additionally, daily consumption is not recommended.
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An Iconic Drink Made Famous By Movies Songs And American Pop Culture The Swirling Colors Of The Tequila Sunrise Cocktail Appear Exotic While The Simple Three
The infamous cocktail that has remained popular over the years has an interesting history that actually splits into two parts.
As for the origin of the Tequila Sunrise, credit goes to a man named Gene Sulit, who tended bar at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in the late 1930s and early 1940s. The resort was then, and still is, Arizonas playground for the rich and famous. As the legend recalls, a repeat guest familiar with Mr. Sulit wanted a refreshing beverage to accompany him by the poolside, so he asked the creative bartender to surprise him.
The result was a delicious blend of soda and tequila with crème de cassis and fresh lime juice. Because the crème de cassis was dense compared to the other ingredients, once settled, it created gradations in the color that mimicked a sunrise, hence the concoctions name.
It was only a matter of time before Jose Cuervo picked up on the favored cocktail. In 1973 the tequila giant saw the drink as a marketing opportunity and put the recipe on the back of its tequila bottles. That same year the rock band, the Eagles, recorded a song called Tequila Sunrise as the drinks popularity soared. The cocktail also established itself as a well-known disco drink, as it was enjoyed at many disco clubs. Later on, in 1988, it was still going strong, because Mel Gibson starred in a movie titled Tequila Sunrise. One thing was clear: America was infatuated.
Tequila Sunrise
A Little Bit Of History
The drink was first served in Arizona at the Baltimore Hotel in the 1920s. Its popularity soared when served in Sausalito in the 1970s, by bartenders Bobby Lozoff and Billy Rice. The story goes that in 1972, Mick Jagger tried it at a party and liked it so much, that the band ordered it everywhere they played in the United States.
A Tequila Sunrise has been one of my favorite cocktails to enjoy during the warm summer months. It has just the right amount of sweetness from the grenadine balanced with the smooth citrus flavor of orange juice. But fair warningyou wont taste the tequila. This beauty goes down easy and packs a punch.
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When To Serve The Tequila Sunrise
This cocktail is terrific by the poolside. Its also great for a night of dancing. And it makes a great drink to have at the end of a long day, before the evening begins.
Its even great for brunch. Not too strong, with an easygoing fruity flavor that goes with most any brunch foods.
It is a terrific choice for barbecue cocktails because its light, refreshing and cold. You can serve it at any party, too.
You might think of the Tequila Sunrise as a very long drink. Thats true, but it only has twice as much fruit juice as alcohol, so its still a good stiff drink.
If you want, you can add more orange juice to make it a longer drink for sipping. Its made to be poured over ice, which will water it down after a few minutes.
If you want to keep the flavors intense, you can chill all the ingredients in advance and even the glass, too and skip the ice. Youll get a nice cold drink this way. And you might want to pour it into a smaller rocks glass.
What Does Tequila Sunrise Taste Like
Tequila sunrise tastes like a fruity drink without the abundance of alcohol flavor.
For the most part, youll taste the orange juice and grenadine syrup.
The grenadine flavor comes from pomegranate and sugar.
This combination actually gives you a sweet and slightly tart flavor in your drink. Its quite refreshing and a good change of pace from other cocktails.
The hint of tequila is quite mild, not like the heat of a shot at all. No need to lick salt and suck on a lime wedge with this drink!
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