Tequila sunrise

There is something irredeemably retro (critics might say naff) about the tequila sunrise.

I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that my photo would look right at home on the pages of Family Circle magazine, circa 1973.

Some drink historians see the 1970s as a nadir in the evolution of cocktails. An era of silly, sweet concoctions best left behind, along with feathered bangs, the Captain and Tenille, and wall-to-wall shag carpet.

Even as a kid, I thought “Muskrat Love” was lame. My hair refused to feather, and I hated our purple shag carpet (not least because it was my job to rake it). But those cocktails impressed me…

Tequila sunrise
(makes 1)

• 2 oz tequila
• 4 oz orange juice
• 1 Tb grenadine
• orange slice and maraschino cherry, to garnish

1. Fill a highball glass with ice.
2. Pour over the tequila, then the orange juice.
3. Slowly pour the grenadine round the inside edge of the glass.
4. Let it stand for a couple of minutes for the grenadine to settle and diffuse.
5. Garnish with an orange slice and a maraschino cherry.

Tags: grenadine, orange juice, tequila