3 Tips And Tricks For The Perfect Tequila Sunrise

A tequila sunrise is something most people would've heard of at some time, whether reading it on a cocktail menu, hearing it said in a movie, or making one at home. It's one of those drinks that feels like a founding father of cocktails, yet its history isn't that old — though there are different schools of thought on its origin.

Some say it was born in the 1930s in the Arizona-based Biltmore Hotel where a bartender created it for a regular guest. It was made with tequila, creme de cassis (a red liquor made with black currents), lime juice, and soda, with the colored layers giving it its name. But the most popular story is how bartenders Bobby Lazoff and Billy Rice at the Trident Restaurant in California created a more modern version using orange juice and grenadine in the '70s. Jose Cuervo caught wind of the sunrise-colored drink as it became part of pop culture and used it in their marketing campaigns. It also inspired the song "Tequila Sunrise" by The Eagles; as well as being used in the title of a Hollywood movie.

Whatever the history, the tequila sunrise is still a highly sought-after cocktail, and we chatted to cocktail writer and Instagrammer Katie Stryjewski — who is a magician with cocktails — to get the low-down on how to create the perfect tequila sunrise. Bottoms up!

Depending on your taste in tequila, there are a few tequilas you could choose from for your tequila sunrise cocktail. "I think a tequila with a bold flavor would stand up the best against the other ingredients," Stryjewski suggests, "so don't use anything too soft and understated."

A silver tequila is a good one to start with. With citrus and dried fruit flavors, it's a great tequila partner for a tequila sunrise. Try the Patron silver tequila, or Milagra silver as kickstarters. Or go for a blanco tequila, which is probably the tequila that most mixologists use when making this cocktail. It generally has a fresh, fruity flavor that complements the orange juice and grenadine, with that deep agave present. But you also get blancos with a grassy, peppery, and herby flavor that elevate your cocktail to even fresher heights. We quite enjoy the Don Julio blanco, Casamigos blanco, or the Cazadores blanco.

Reposados, whose flavor profiles range from salted caramel, toffee, and crème brûlée, to vanilla, citrus, hazelnut, herb, spice and cedarwood, with a gorgeous smooth and long finish — give a more complex experience to your tequila sunrise. Try the El Jimador reposado, 123 organic reposado, or the Clase Azul reposado. Whichever tequila you use, make sure it is a 100% agave tequila as this gives you a tequila in its purest form with no additives to enjoy that signature agave flavor.

The beautiful layers of color, so reminiscent of a sunrise, are what inspired the name in the first place. But you can't just bang the ingredients in any random order — there's science behind the layering as the ingredients of a tequila sunrise have different viscosities, meaning they will either sink below or rise above other ingredients. This is how Stryjewski builds a tequila sunrise.

"Put ice in the glass," she says. "Add the tequila first, then the orange juice, and give it a quick stir. Then add the grenadine. Grenadine should naturally sink to the bottom of the glass, but it helps to pour it slowly along the side of the glass and/or over the back of a spoon."

The typical ratio for the cocktail is 2 ounces of tequila, and 4 ounces of orange juice. If you like it a little stronger, you can switch this ratio around, but be careful. "Don't overdo the orange juice," Stryjewski notes. "The most you should add is double the amount of tequila," or you'll lose your balance of flavors. You'll then add ½ an ounce of grenadine to complete your cocktail mix, and "a squeeze of lime to give the drink some balance," she suggests. "Admire the layers, but stir before you drink it." Follow these rules for a wonderful experience of sweet and tart, with a lovely agave kick.

Using fresh, top-quality ingredients can have a huge impact on how your cocktail turns out. "Squeeze your own orange juice and make your own grenadine," Stryjewski recommends. "Most grenadine off the shelf is just high-fructose corn syrup and food coloring," meaning it'll be full of artificial colorants and preservatives like citric acid, sodium benzoate, red 40 and blue 1.

So the answer is to just make your own. "Grenadine should be made with equal parts pomegranate juice and sugar," she says. Gather your ingredients first: 1 cup each of granulated sugar and unsweetened 100% pomegranate juice, then add them to a saucepan over medium heat. "Simmer it on the stove until the sugar dissolves," she says, "let it cool completely, and store it in the refrigerator." If you can't get a hold of pomegranate juice, you can switch it out with red currant juice or fresh red currents.

"The real thing is more flavorful and a bit tart," Stryjewski notes. "It's a completely different experience." And the good news is that you can store your homemade grenadine for future cocktails. Grenadine is also used in the apple-forwardd Jack Rose, the gin-orientated Pink Lady, and the sweet and juicy Rum Punch. Stryjewski says that you can store it in the refrigerator, and it'll last for up to a month. But it's not just great on cocktails — grenadine can be used in desserts, on salads, and even in fruity consommés.