Cocktail of the Week: Tequila Sunrise
Okay, so I just wanted an excuse to take a picture of this admittedly very pretty drink. The Tequila Sunrise is fun to revisit now and again. It's old school. It's refreshing, particularly on a 91-degree June day (ay, dios mio). And it hearkens back to a time when vodka hadn't taken over the entire mixed-drink stratosphere, allowing party-hearty Californians (or Floridians, depending on which fuzzy origin story you choose to believe) to partake in a tequila drink that didn't involve lime or salt of any kind.
I suppose the correct garnish for one of these is a slice of orange, but no dice here. I use canned OJ, and I didn't have any fresh oranges on hand. (When I'm feeling flush, I buy Tropicana. Does that count?) But in this kind of weather, after a few sips you probably won't care. It's cold and in a tall glass - what more do you want?
(An aside: I decided to try Sauza Silver tequila at a whopping $32.05 Canadian per fifth [the LCBO's tequila selection is way overpriced, and ludicrously small at that] instead of my usual Olmeca Gold. I haven't yet tried the Sauza in a Margarita, but for now I can say that Olmeca seems to work better in a Sunrise. The flavor is more mellow and mixes better with the orange juice. Anyway, Sauza isn't worth the extra three dollars, IMO. But I digress.)
Tequila Sunrise
2 oz tequila (Sauza Silver)
orange juice (fresh if you care, canned if you're lazy)
splash of grenadine
Add tequila to an ice-filled highball glass. Top with orange juice. Pour grenadine quickly down the center of the drink, so that it hits the bottom and then floats up to make the gradient effect. Try to use clear glasses instead of the dark purplish tinted ones I did, particularly if you're going to be taking pictures. For a blog, say.
This drink reminds me that I want to try making my own grenadine some time, since the commercial stuff is hella sweet and tastes nothing remotely like pomegranate.
I suppose the correct garnish for one of these is a slice of orange, but no dice here. I use canned OJ, and I didn't have any fresh oranges on hand. (When I'm feeling flush, I buy Tropicana. Does that count?) But in this kind of weather, after a few sips you probably won't care. It's cold and in a tall glass - what more do you want?
(An aside: I decided to try Sauza Silver tequila at a whopping $32.05 Canadian per fifth [the LCBO's tequila selection is way overpriced, and ludicrously small at that] instead of my usual Olmeca Gold. I haven't yet tried the Sauza in a Margarita, but for now I can say that Olmeca seems to work better in a Sunrise. The flavor is more mellow and mixes better with the orange juice. Anyway, Sauza isn't worth the extra three dollars, IMO. But I digress.)
Tequila Sunrise
2 oz tequila (Sauza Silver)
orange juice (fresh if you care, canned if you're lazy)
splash of grenadine
Add tequila to an ice-filled highball glass. Top with orange juice. Pour grenadine quickly down the center of the drink, so that it hits the bottom and then floats up to make the gradient effect. Try to use clear glasses instead of the dark purplish tinted ones I did, particularly if you're going to be taking pictures. For a blog, say.
This drink reminds me that I want to try making my own grenadine some time, since the commercial stuff is hella sweet and tastes nothing remotely like pomegranate.
This entry was posted by Darryl, on
Monday, June 25, 2007.
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9:01 PM
Pretty photo Darryl! The purple at the base of the glass really offsets the grenadine at the bottom. I haven't had one of these in a long long time, I'll have to give it another go around. Good luck getting Olmeca in these parts though.
5:42 PM
Great Drink recipe.
On the subject of the LCBO and Tequila... it's a joke. They just recently de-listed one of the best bang for the buck (and most popular in many parts of the US) Tequila - that being 4 Copas. They used to carry the Repo and Blanco, but no more. You would have loved that in your drink. I've had the Olmeca and it's o.k. But as with many things quality ingredients in usually means a better quality product at the end! We can only hope that the growth of fine tequilas as a desired spirit will finally get recognized by the LCBO.