Original Tequila Sunrise

Good quality tequila and grenadine will go a long way in this cocktail. Stay away from the fluorescent red grenadine found in stores. If there is no alternative, make your own!

Add a splash of mezcal to further intensify this delicious cocktail. It will add a smoky nose and play really well with the other ingredients.

This recipe was created in the early 1930s and printed in Bottoms up! A guide from Agua Caliente in Tijuana, México. The printed version found in this guide calls it “The Sunrise” and is listed as costing 25 cents. The original recipe calls for topping off with “healthful Agua Caliente Roca Blanca water (if not available, fill with seltzer)”

In the aforementioned guide, right next to the recipe, there is a “Sure cure for colds (in early stages)” which calls for the now ubiquitous “Eat a pinch of salt, then tequila straight, and eat half a lemon”.

The more widely known version of the tequila sunrise wasn’t invented until the 1970s, and its popularity rose greatly by being the preferred drink of the Rolling Stones in their 1972 American Tour.