Tequila Sunrise Cocktail: Recipe, History, Variations

I decided to dilute the burning and somewhat bitter brandy with sweet, and even with tequila. Today you can see another legendary cocktail, which is included in the bar list of the International Bartenders Association – Tequila Sunrise. The cocktail is legendary, classic, which means that every self-respecting bartender should be able to prepare it (or rather, anyone who is not ashamed to call himself this word). This is one of those masterpieces of mixology that needs no translation, but still: Tequila Sunrise – “Tequila Sunrise”. There is nothing to add here, just look at the photo.

Cocktail recipe Tequila Sunrise

In general, today bars serve not quite the original drink, but rather its adapted version. IBA Cocktails also features a modern version, but I thought I’d share the original Sunrise Tequila with you first. True, it is difficult to say how it was there at the beginning of the last century – I just took the first proportions that caught my eye.

Old Fashioned Tequila Sunrise (old-style, shake, long drink)

• highball;

Ingredients:

• 45 ml of silver tequila;
• 20 ml of lime juice;
• 1-2 teaspoons of syrup (any taste);
• 5 ml Grenadine syrup;
• 5 ml of Creme de Cassis liqueur.
• soda to the top.

Preparation:

• Shake tequila, juice and syrup in a shaker with plenty of ice;
• strain the contents through a strainer into a highball glass with ice;
• mix grenadine and blackcurrant liqueur (Crème de Cassis) and carefully pour into a glass (should settle);
• add soda to taste.

This Tequila Sunrise, the recipe of which has passed through generations, is very different from the current version of the cocktail. First, it looks more charming due to the transparent soda and blood red currant liqueur. Secondly, its taste is more intense and rich, as more ingredients are used, including lime juice, which gives the drink a spicy sourness. However, the latter is smoothed out by any syrup. As the practice of experimental mixologists (imbibers) has shown, in this version of Sunrise Tequila it is better to use real tequila with 100% agave. Mixto, that is, not 100% tequila, does not go well with sour from lime juice.

Classic Tequila Sunrise (build, long drink)

Innings:

• highball;

Ingredients:

• 45 ml of silver tequila;
• 90 ml orange juice;
• 15 ml Grenadine.

Preparation:

• pour tequila into a highball filled with ice, then juice;
• add 15 ml of Grenadine, which should settle at the bottom of the glass;
• serve the cocktail without stirring, garnishing with a cherry and an orange slice.

This is the same Sunrise Tequila that is served in most bars in the world. For this version, it is also better to use good ingredients. As an option, you can take an inexpensive Jose Cuervo mixto, good Grenadine (not for 40 r a bucket), high-quality orange juice (you can even try fresh, then the cocktail will turn out a little sour). Pour not a lot of grenadine, otherwise the drink will turn out too sweet. Let me remind you that both options are served in their original, unmixed form, but the cocktail must be mixed before use. You can also fantasize with the proportions: it is enough to add less juice to a stronger cocktail, for example, 1:1,5, etc.

History of the Tequila Sunrise

Like most classic cocktails (this is the French 75, and Southside, and the famous Long Island Ice Tea and even Cuba Libre), Tequila Sunrise was invented during Prohibition (20-30s of the last century). According to one version, it was invented in Tijuana in the town of Agua Caliente. It is located on the border of the United States and Mexico, and this, as you know, is one of the favorite places of pilgrimage for the American public during times of troubles, when drinking could be severely punished in the country. According to another version, the cocktail was invented in Arizona, in the Arizona Baltimore bar, all in the same 30s.

In RuNet it is believed that the popularity of Tequila Sunrise came thanks to the Rolling Stones, who drank it in buckets during a tour in 1972. The theory is undoubtedly interesting and beautiful, but to refute it, it is enough to watch the amusing film “Cocksucker Blues” by Robert Frank, which tells about that very tour. It is interesting that this film was forbidden to be shown by Rolling themselves, because there were too many revelations: sex, grass, mountains of coke and heroin … There are also drinks in this film, among which a highball glass with teka and juice may slip, but it is clearly lost among crates of beer and hard whiskey. In general, it is doubtful that alcoholic Keith and drug addict Mick preferred a pretty cocktail with tequila to coke track …

I am more inclined that the popularity of the drink was provided by the Eagles, who sang the song of the same name. There is also a hip-hop version of “Tequila Sunrise” from the great and mighty Cypress Hill in the album “VI”. All in all, a stellar cocktail. If you look not through the prism of pop culture, then the usual Screwdriver with tequila and Grenadine for the effect of rising … Why didn’t the old-school version take root? Yes, because after Prohibition, Tequila Sunrise was rapidly gaining popularity, and bartenders were not happy to buy hard-to-find and expensive Creme de Cassis. Lemonade, that is, soda with lime juice, was also easier to replace with orange juice, which is in the pistol of every second bar (you know, in bourgeois bars, soda water is glimmering on the hose in one pistol, and some kind of juice in the second).

Cocktail variations Tequila Sunrise

Of course, if there is a sunrise, then there must be a sunset. The Tequila Sunset cocktail is the same sunset – instead of grenadine, blueberry brandy (“BlackBerry”) is poured. Well, offhand:

• Caribbean dawn: instead of tequila, we pour rum;
• Amaretto dawn: instead of tequila, pour Amaretto liquor (almond);
• Florida Dawn: Replace half of the orange juice with pineapple;
• Diet dawn: instead of Grenadine we pour cranberry juice;
• Dawn on the Red Sea (for teetotalers): tequila is replaced by lemonade.

Drink wisely, do not interfere (as far as possible with cocktails), read and comment on Rum. There is still more to come with 40 classic cocktails and many more informative and entertaining posts. Till! *hi*