How to Make a Tequila Sunrise

Co-authored by Mimi Perryman and Hannah Madden

The tequila sunrise might just be the perfect summer cocktail: it looks great, tastes fruity, and is seriously simple to make. The drink we know and love today was born in the 1970s after it was rumored a barkeep wanted to taste the Arizona sunset (while it’s a great story, there’s no way to prove it right or wrong, so tell that as a fun party fact at your own risk).^{[1]
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Research source} Wherever it came from, the tequila sunrise is a delicious drink that you can make in your very own kitchen to impress your guests and make your summer just a little bit brighter.

Ingredients

Classic Tequila Sunrise

2 fl oz (60 ml) of tequila
5.5 fl oz (175 mL) of orange juice
³⁄₄ fluid ounce (22 mL) of grenadine
Ice
Orange slice and a cherry

Makes 1 tequila sunrise

Pineapple Sunrise

Ice
4 fluid ounces (120 mL) of tequila
2 fluid ounces (59 mL) of pineapple juice
2 teaspoons (9.9 mL) of grenadine
1 pineapple chunk

Makes 1 pineapple sunrise

Tequila Sunrise Pitcher

Ice
1.75 cups (410 mL) of tequila
²⁄₃ c (160 mL) of orange juice
1 US tbsp (15 mL) of grenadine

Makes 6 tequila sunrises

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Classic Tequila Sunrise

1
Pick out your ingredients. There are 3 main ingredients in a tequila sunrise: tequila, orange juice, and grenadine. As with most cocktails, the price and type of liquor and additions you get will affect the flavor. For a tequila sunrise, you’ll want to go with a mid-range tequila (think somewhere in the $30 range), fresh orange juice (making it yourself is the best, but store bought is fine too), and bright red grenadine (okay, all grenadine is bright red, but it still makes your drink look nice, so it’s something to watch out for).^{[2]
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- Grenadine is a thick syrup made from pomegranate juice, and it’s non-alcoholic, so you can actually find it in the grocery store as well as a liquor store.
2
Fill up a highball glass with ice. A highball glass is a tall, plain glass that’s great for making a big drink in. Go ahead and fill the glass up about halfway with ice to keep your drink cool and dilute it ever so slightly.^{[3]
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- Your ice matters! If you want your cocktail to look professional and taste the best, you can try making clear ice. Otherwise, just use ice made from filtered water.
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3
Pour 2 fl oz (60 ml) of tequila into the glass. Now it’s time for the fun part: the alcohol. Measure out your tequila in a shot glass or a measuring cup, then pour it in over the ice. You don’t have to worry about pouring carefully since the tequila is clear, meaning it doesn’t add much to the visual effects of the drink.^{[4]
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- To save yourself a step, you can also mix the orange juice and the tequila together, then pour them in at the same time. It doesn’t affect the look of the drink, so it’s really up to you.
4
Add 5.5 fl oz (175 mL) of orange juice. Here comes the sun in the tequila sunrise! Measure out your orange juice and pour it into your glass on top of the ice. This will add a pop of color as well as a fresh fruity flavor to your cocktail.^{[5]
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- If you’re making your own orange juice, squeeze at least 2 oranges.
- To make your cocktail a little more old-fashioned, pour in 2 dashes of bitters along with the OJ.
- To double up on the citrus flavor, pour in ¹⁄₄ c (59 mL) of lime juice.
- Want some fruity flavor with a bit of liquor in it? Add 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of triple sec in with your orange juice.
5
Drizzle the grenadine over a spoon into the glass. Your final ingredient is just a little tricky: the aim of the game here is to get the grenadine in the bottom of the glass and leave the yellow color from the orange juice on top. Measure out ³⁄₄ fluid ounce (22 mL) of grenadine, then pour it over the back of a spoon into the center of the drink. Go super slowly so that it all settles to the bottom, and most important of all: don’t stir!^{[6]
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- If all goes to plan, you’ll now have a gradient drink with mostly red on the bottom fading into a light yellow at the top. If it didn’t go to plan—well, it’ll still taste great.
6
Put an orange wedge on the rim of your glass. Cut an orange in half, then cut that half in half again. From the smallest half, cut out a little triangle portion that you think will look cute on your drink. Make a notch in the bottom with your knife, then place it on the side of your glass.^{[7]
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Spear a cherry with a cocktail umbrella. It’s a two in one decoration: it’s both cute and delicious. Grab a small cocktail umbrella and stab it through the heart of a maraschino cherry, then drop the entire thing into your drink. You can snack on the cherry when you’re hungry or leave it in as you sip to have some fun in the sun.^{[8]
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- As with the orange slice, adding an umbrella and a cherry is totally optional—but why wouldn’t you add a little embellishment?
- Tequila sunrises go great with finger foods, like tiny sandwiches or raw vegetables. They're light and fruity, so they’re awesome to sip on by the pool or during a backyard BBQ.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Pineapple Sunrise

1
Fill up a highball glass with crushed ice. For a pineapple sunrise, you can go for some crushed ice to make more of a slushie drink. Fill up your tall glass about halfway with ice to make your drink nice and cold.^{[9]
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- If you want to get fancy with it, you can mix your ice, tequila, and pineapple juice together in a cocktail shaker (but you definitely don’t have to).
2
Add 4 fluid ounces (120 mL) of tequila to the glass. Just like a classic tequila sunrise, the main ingredient in this one is your tequila. Measure it out and dump it into your glass to get the ball rolling on this fruity sunrise.^{[10]
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- Again, you should go for a mid-range tequila here (around $30 a bottle is best).
3
Mix in 2 fluid ounces (59 mL) of pineapple juice. Open up a can of pineapple juice and measure it out. Dump the juice into your glass and stir it up with the tequila to make the base of your drink.^{[11]
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- You can find cans of pineapple juice at most grocery stores.
- If you like pineapple a lot, you can buy a can of pineapple chunks and use the juice for your drink. Then you’ll have a ton of pineapple to snack on while you sip!
4
Pour in 2 teaspoons (9.9 mL) of grenadine very slowly. Measure out your grenadine and then drizzle it over the back of a spoon into the center of the glass. Let the grenadine all fall to the bottom to create your sunrise gradient, and just like in a classic tequila sunrise, keep that spoon out of your drink! (Meaning don’t stir it up).^{[12]
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5
Garnish the glass with a slice of pineapple. Grab a pineapple chunk and make a notch in the bottom of it. Slide it onto the rim of your glass and add a cocktail umbrella to top off this tangy sweet drink.^{[13]
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- These pineapple sunrises are great when you’re tired of OJ or you’re hosting a tropical backyard party.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Tequila Sunrise Pitcher

1
Fill a pitcher halfway full with ice. Grab the largest pitcher you have and fill it up with a ton of ice to keep your drinks super cold. You can go for crushed ice if you have enough or stick to classic cubes for an easier fill-up.^{[14]
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- Glass pitchers are an easy way to make a party feel classy and a little fancy.
2
Pour 1.75 cups (410 mL) of tequila into the pitcher. It’s a party, right? Measure out your mid-range tequila and pour it into the pitcher on top of the ice. Thankfully you’re not stopping there, so keep your other ingredients handy.^{[15]
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3
Top it off with ²⁄₃ c (160 mL) of orange juice. Here comes the sunrise! Measure out your orange juice and pour that in with the tequila. Use a wooden spoon to mix the 2 together and prepare for the final ingredient.^{[16]
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- To make your sunrise a little more interesting, add in 1 c (240 mL) of pineapple juice and 1 c (240 mL) of peach bellini mix as well as the OJ.
4
Pour in 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of grenadine. You know the drill: do this part slowly. Drizzle the grenadine down on top of a spoon (or just pour it out really slowly) into the center of the pitcher. Give it a minute or so to settle to the bottom and watch your sunrise come to life.^{[17]
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- Remember: no stirring!
- The difference between shaking and stirring a drink is watering down the spirit a little or liquefying it.
- It is better to stir the whiskey bourbon instead of shaking it to taste a full palette of the bourbon.
- But when you shake mixed drinks with vodka, rum and tequila, you will find they taste better.
5
Divide it among 6 glasses and top them with cocktail umbrellas. This giant pitcher of sunrise will feed about 6 people, so you can divvy it up right away or let the guests serve themselves. As you pour, the grenadine might mix in with the orange juice and ruin the gradient, but that’s okay! It will still taste amazing.^{[18]
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- You can add a cherry or an orange slice to each glass if you're feeling fancy.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I make a lemon twist?

Community Answer

You have to slice a lemon or a lime, save that slice, cut the pulp of the peel, twist the peel into a q shape, and then save it.
Question

What would I call a drink that has vodka, cranberry juice, and lime?

Community Answer

Vodka and cranberry juice is just a vodka and cranberry. When you garnish it with lime, it becomes a Cape Cod. (That being said, some still refer to a vodka and cranberry as a Cape Cod.)
Question

How can you make a sex on the beach?

Community Answer

50 ml vodka, 50 ml peach schnapps, 150 ml orange juice and 150 ml cranberry juice. Put in a glass with some ice cubes and garnish with a slice of orange.