Video about Tequila sunrise on my YouTube channel.
The Tequila Sunrise, a cocktail with a short recipe but a long history. Its peak popularity was in the 1970s and 80s—not exactly the golden age of American cocktail culture. During that time, people consumed a lot of cocktails, and many new mixes were created, but the taste and quality of many drinks from those decades leave much to be desired. However, the Tequila Sunrise earned its place on the IBA list for a good reason.
There are two different versions of the Tequila Sunrise.
The original version of the cocktail first appeared around 1930 at Agua Caliente, a resort in Tijuana, Mexico, which included a hotel, casino, and racetrack. Tijuana, located on the US border, was a popular destination for Americans during the Prohibition Era, especially for those who preferred their entertainment to be anything but sober. The cocktail recipe was even featured on the resort’s menu.
In 1933, the recipe was published in “The Hollywood Cocktails”:
– 1 Jigger Tequila
– ½ lime, squeezed, with peel inserted
– 6 dashes Grenadine
– 2 dashes Crème de Cassis
– 2 lumps of ice
Serve in a highball glass filled to the brim with Roca Blanca water or fizz with seltzer.
There is also a belief that the original Tequila Sunrise was created in the early 1930s or 40s by Gene Sulit, a bartender at the Whight Bar in the Arizona Biltmore Hotel. However, this claim is questionable since the Whight wasn’t operational in the early 1930s due to Prohibition, and by the early 1940s, the recipe had been published already. Therefore, it seems likely that the Agua Caliente resort holds the true origin of the Tequila Sunrise.
In the original version of the Tequila Sunrise, you’ll notice the absence of orange juice, the very ingredient that gives the cocktail its vibrant, iconic color—so familiar to patrons of modern bars. Orange juice is actually a key component of the more popular, modern version of the Tequila Sunrise, which was created in 1970 by Bobby Lozoff, a rookie bartender at the Trident restaurant in Sausalito, California.
The skyrocketing popularity of the Tequila Sunrise, however, can be credited to rock ‘n’ roll. Trident was a well-known hangout for rock stars, and in June 1972, it hosted the private kick-off party for the Rolling Stones’ American tour. At one point, Bobby Lozoff slyly served Mick Jagger his signature cocktail instead of the Margarita Jagger had ordered. Jagger loved the taste, appreciated the simplicity, and for Rolling Stones the tour passed under the sign of Tequila Sunrise. Keith Richards even mentioned in his book “Life”, “The ’72 tour was known by another name—the Cocaine and Tequila Sunrise tour.”
During this period, tequila producers were actively promoting their drink in the American market. Jose Cuervo, the largest tequila producer, capitalized on the public’s growing interest in the Tequila Sunrise by printing the cocktail’s recipe on the back label of its tequila bottles. This clever marketing move significantly boosted the popularity of both tequila and the cocktail. In fact, it was largely thanks to drinks like the Margarita and the Tequila Sunrise that tequila became so popular in the United States.
Shortly after, in 1973, the Eagles released their album “Desperado”, which featured the song “Tequila Sunrise”. This further fueled the cocktail’s popularity.
The following decade saw cinema playing a role in the cocktail’s fame. In 1988, the film “Tequila Sunrise” directed by Robert Towne was released, starring Mel Gibson, Kurt Russell, and Michelle Pfeiffer.
Although the popularity of the Tequila Sunrise waned in the 1990s, the cocktail remains a staple on bar menus to this day.
The basic recipe for the modern version of the Tequila Sunrise, included in the IBA Contemporary Classics category, is minimalist and includes only three ingredients: tequila, orange juice, and grenadine.
Here’s the recipe according to the IBA:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz / 45 ml Tequila
3 oz / 90 ml Fresh Orange Juice
1/2 oz / 15 ml Grenadine
Process:
Pour tequila and orange juice directly into a highball glass filled with ice cubes. Add the grenadine to create a chromatic effect resembling a sunrise—do not stir.
Garnish – half orange slice or an orange zest.
Drinkware:
Highball glass
The quality of any cocktail heavily depends on the quality of its ingredients. This is especially true for cocktails with a minimal number of ingredients. When it comes to drinks like the Tequila Sunrise, where juice makes up a significant portion, the freshness and quality of the juice are crucial.
Using a cheap mixto tequila and processed juice from a tetra pack (which you might encounter at a low-budget bar by the pool) will result in an upsetting drink. On the other hand, if you use high-quality tequila and freshly squeezed orange juice, you’ll be rewarded with a delightful and refreshing cocktail. For the Tequila Sunrise, the quality of the ingredients is absolutely essential.
And, of course, you can make the cocktail taste more complicated and interesting, playing with some additional ingredients.
I came across this particular variant in Difford’s Guide, and it’s one that I find particularly appealing.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz / 45 ml Tequila
2 1/2 oz / 75 ml Fresh Orange Juice
3/4 oz / 22.5 ml Triple Sec
1/2 oz / 15 ml Fresh Lime Juice
1/6 oz / 5 мл Crème de Cassis
1/6 oz / 5 ml Grenadine
Process:
Begin by pouring the Grenadine and Crème de Cassis into a glass filled with ice. Next, mix the remaining ingredients together. Carefully strain this mixture into the glass, allowing it to rest atop the red base layer, creating the “sunrise” effect.
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