IBA
Tequila Sunrise – IBA
Build ∙ 2 min ∙ 11.1% ABV ∙
A Tequila Sunrise is a built highball of tequila blanco and orange juice topped with grenadine, layered unstirred for a sunrise-colored gradient. Juicy orange sweetness leads, tequila warmth riding underneath, with a syrupy pomegranate hit deepening the finish as the layers mix in the glass.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Pour Tequila blanco 45 ml and Orange juice 90 ml directly into the highball glass filled with ice cubes
- Add the Grenadine syrup 15 ml to create a chromatic effect (sunrise). Do not stir
- Garnish with an orange slice or an orange twist
Tips
- Pour the grenadine last and let it settle on its own — stirring at this point ruins the layered sunrise effect.
- Pre-chill the glass so the ice doesn't melt fast and dilute the layers before the gradient forms.
- Fill the glass fully with ice cubes first; the grenadine needs that cold, dense base to sink slowly and layer.
- Use fresh orange juice rather than from concentrate for a cleaner color separation and truer citrus flavor.
History
The Tequila Sunrise – IBA is the International Bartenders Association's official codification of the modern Tequila Sunrise, listing tequila, orange juice, and grenadine syrup built unmixed in a highball glass under its Contemporary Classics category. This spec simply standardizes the widely known 1970s-style recipe rather than reflecting a separate invention story of its own.
That modern recipe traces to the Trident restaurant in Sausalito, California, where bartenders Bobby Lozoff and Billy Rice are credited with popularizing the tequila, orange juice, and grenadine version in the early 1970s, a drink that gained further fame through its association with the Rolling Stones. It replaced an earlier, unrelated Tequila Sunrise made with tequila, crème de cassis, lime juice, and soda water, credited to bartender Gene Sulit at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in the 1930s or 1940s; the two versions shared only tequila and a name inspired by the drink's layered, sunrise-like color.
FAQ
How do you make the perfect Tequila Sunrise?
Build it directly in a highball glass filled with ice: pour the tequila and orange juice in together, then add the grenadine last without stirring so it sinks and creates the signature sunrise gradient. Garnish with an orange slice or twist. The key to the effect is adding the grenadine slowly and leaving the drink unstirred.
What is in a Tequila Sunrise?
Tequila blanco, orange juice, and grenadine syrup, built over ice in a highball glass and garnished with an orange slice or twist. It is not shaken or stirred, so the grenadine settles at the bottom before rising through the drink.
Does a Tequila Sunrise need grenadine?
Yes, grenadine is essential to this drink, not optional. It is what creates the layered sunrise gradient as it sinks through the orange juice and tequila, and without it the drink is really just a tequila screwdriver.
How strong is a Tequila Sunrise?
About 11.1% ABV, making it a light, sessionable cocktail since the tequila is diluted by a large share of orange juice.
