Published
This Tequila Sunrise Drink is tailor-made for tailgating, game day festivities, or weekend brunches. It comes together quickly and easily with orange juice, grenadine, tequila, and beer. I pour it into a glass filled with ice for a refreshing and fun way to start the day.
Pin this recipe for later!
Pin ItMy Favorite Morning Cocktail
The original Tequila Sunrise was invented in the 1930s by Gene Sulit, and though I strayed slightly from his ingredients, using orange juice, grenadine, and tequila instead of lime juice, soda water, and crème de cassis, I find the drink still looks like a sunrise with its bright and bold colors. Refreshing and easy to make, this orange juice-based cocktail is perfect for tailgating, game day celebrations, and often makes an appearance on my weekend brunch buffet table.
Tips for Beginners
- Prepare just before serving. If you make the drink too far in advance, the beer will go flat.
- Pour the beer slowly. This will reduce the amount of foam you get, which will keep the beer fizzy.
- Use freshly squeezed juice. Freshly squeezed juice will give you a more vibrant citrus flavor. Strain out any pulp.
- Don’t stir too much. After you add the grenadine, a gentle stir is fine; this way, you won’t lose the layered color effect.
Game Day Tequila Sunrise
Ingredients
- ½ cup tequila I used Exotico, but any brand will work
- 1 cup light beer I used Bud Light Lime. A beer with a citrus component works great.
- 2 cups orange juice no pulp
- 2 oz. grenadine
- maraschino cherries and orange slices for garnish
Video
Instructions
- In a pitcher, stir together the tequila, beer, and orange juice.½ cup tequila, 1 cup light beer, 2 cups orange juice
- Fill 4 glasses with ice.
- Pour the orange juice mixture over the ice until almost full.
- Add a splash of grenadine to each glass (about a ½ oz. each) and garnish with cherries and oranges. Enjoy!2 oz. grenadine, maraschino cherries and orange slices
Becky’s Tips
- Don’t make too far in advance or the beer will go flat.
- Go slowly with the beer to minimize the amount of foam so the beer stays fizzy.
- Freshly squeezed orange juice adds a more vibrant flavor.
- To maintain the layered color effect, a gentle stir is all you need after adding the grenadine.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Tequila Sunrise Step by Step
Combine tequila, beer, and juice: Stir together ½ cup tequila, 1 cup light beer, 2 cups orange juice in a pitcher. Fill 4 glasses with ice.
Portion the drink: Pour the orange juice mixture over the ice until the glass is almost full.
Add the grenadine: Pour about ½ oz. of grenadine into each glass.
Garnish and serve: Garnish with cherries and oranges. Enjoy!
How to Store
This tequila sunrise is best consumed once it prepared, so I’d suggest only making as many as you are going to drink right away.
Make Ahead
If you want to get a head start, you can combine the tequila and orange juice and then add the beer and grenadine just before serving.
Serving Suggestions
I like making a batch of tequila sunrise to serve at weekend brunches. I’ll also prepare a big buffet spread and make an eggs Benedict casserole, a side of savory air fryer bacon, and, for a sweet treat, these heavy cream cinnamon rolls fit the bill. This drink only takes minutes to make, so I’ll prepare it once my guests arrive. I can easily get 4 servings out of this recipe, so if I’m expecting more people, I’ll double the recipe.
More Tequila Based Recipes To Try
- For these White Christmas Tequila Sours, I take tequila, egg white, citrus juices, and agave nectar to make a sweet and sour drink.
- In this recipe for Margarita Guacamole, I added a splash of tequila for extra flavor and served the dip in fun, margarita glasses.
- This Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken is cheesy, flavorful, and easy to prepare.
