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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
Again, you should go for a mid-range tequila here (around $30 a bottle is best).
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!
These pineapple sunrises are great when you’re tired of OJ or you’re hosting a tropical backyard party.
Glass pitchers are an easy way to make a party feel classy and a little fancy.
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.
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.
You can add a cherry or an orange slice to each glass if you’re feeling fancy.
