The Tequila Sunrise Is Back for Summer 2026: How to Make the Iconic Cocktail Right (and 8 Reposado Tequilas for It) — National Tequila Day, July 24
Few drinks are as instantly recognizable as the Tequila Sunrise: that glowing red-to-orange gradient in a tall glass, a wedge of orange on the rim, the whole thing looking exactly like its name. It was the drink of the 1970s — the Rolling Stones named a tour after it, the Eagles wrote a song — and for a while it got a bad reputation as a sweet, artificial relic. But made properly, with real grenadine and a good tequila, it is a genuinely delicious cocktail, and it is riding the tequila boom right back onto summer menus. It is also the most beginner-friendly drink you can make: no shaker, no straining, and the signature sunrise effect happens on its own. Just in time for National Tequila Day on July 24, here is how to make it right — and the eight reposado tequilas that make it sing.
The 8 reposado tequilas in this guide
What a Tequila Sunrise is — and how the color happens
A Tequila Sunrise is tequila and orange juice with a little grenadine, and the magic is in the layering. You build the tequila and juice over ice, then pour a small amount of grenadine down the inside of the glass; because grenadine is denser than juice, it sinks to the bottom and slowly blooms upward, creating the red-to-gold gradient that gives the drink its name. You do not stir it — the whole point is to leave the sunrise intact until the drinker mixes it themselves with the first sip. It is equal parts cocktail and spectacle, which is exactly why it has endured for fifty years.
The recipe: a proper Tequila Sunrise
Fill a tall glass with ice. Add 2 oz tequila and 4 oz fresh orange juice and give it a quick stir. Then slowly pour ½ oz grenadine down the side of the glass and let it settle to the bottom — do not stir again. Garnish with an orange half-wheel and a cocktail cherry, and serve with the gradient showing. Two things separate a great Sunrise from the sticky version people remember: fresh-squeezed orange juice instead of concentrate, and real pomegranate grenadine instead of the corn-syrup-and-dye kind. Get both right and this becomes a bright, balanced, genuinely elegant drink.
Blanco or reposado? Why we reach for reposado
The classic 1970s Sunrise was built on silver tequila, and a crisp blanco absolutely works — if that is your preference, the bright bottles in our Paloma guide, like El Jimador Blanco ($27.99) or 818 Blanco ($27.99), are perfect. But orange juice and grenadine are sweet and full-flavored, and a lightly aged reposado stands up to them beautifully: a few months in oak add caramel, vanilla and a rounder body that keeps the drink from tasting flat or one-note. Reposado is the sweet spot for a Sunrise — enough character to be interesting, not so much oak that it fights the fruit.
Eight reposados that make a great Sunrise
Start with the values. El Jimador Reposado ($31.09) is the everyday hero — smooth, lightly oaked and made for mixing — and 818 Reposado ($34.99) adds soft vanilla sweetness that flatters the orange. Espolón Reposado ($39.99) is a bartender favorite with real backbone and roasted-agave depth, while 1800 Reposado ($39.99) is the reliable, widely loved mixer that anchors countless back bars. Step up and Teremana Reposado ($43.99) brings rich cooked-agave and caramel, and Partida Reposado ($43.99) is a polished estate pour that makes the drink feel upscale. For something special, Gran Centenario Reposado ($49.99) is smooth and honeyed, and Don Julio Reposado ($59.99) is the benchmark — balanced, elegant and good enough to sip on its own. If you want to go richer still, Casamigos Reposado ($49.99) is silky and popular, and Milagro Reposado Select ($65.09) is a barrel-forward splurge. Every one is profiled in our complete reposado tequila buying guide.
Grenadine: the ingredient everyone gets wrong
Grenadine should be pomegranate syrup, not red dye — and the difference is the whole drink. Real grenadine is tart, deep and fruity, adding balance and a little acidity; the artificial stuff is just sugar and color, which is how the Sunrise got its cloying reputation. Buy a proper pomegranate grenadine or make your own by simmering equal parts pomegranate juice and sugar with a squeeze of lemon. It keeps for weeks in the fridge and instantly upgrades not just this drink but a dozen others.
Variations and a note on the Sunset
Swap in a half-ounce of mezcal for a smoky Sunrise, or float a blackberry liqueur instead of grenadine and you have a Tequila Sunset — a purple-to-gold gradient that is just as pretty. For a drier drink, cut the orange juice with fresh grapefruit and you are halfway to a Paloma. And if you prefer your tequila stirred and spirit-forward, our Tequila Old Fashioned guide is the bourbon-drinker's way into agave. However you build it, the Sunrise is the most forgiving, most photogenic tequila cocktail there is.
Where to shop for Tequila Day
One good reposado covers a Sunrise, a margarita on the rocks and a neat pour after dinner. Browse the full reposado tequila collection, or the broader tequila collection for blancos and añejos. Our National Tequila Day bottle guide covers the best across every style, and if you are ready to sip rather than mix, the añejo tequila guide is where to go next. See what else is moving this month in best sellers. Happy National Tequila Day.
