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The Tequila Sunrise: Rock & Roll’s Signature Cocktail

 

The Tequila Sunrise’s story goes back to the 1930s at Phoenix’s venerable Arizona Biltmore Hotel. Back then, it looked like something out of The Great Gadsby. There bartender Gene Sulit combined his love of tequila and the guests’ desire for a cocktail to sip around the pool. Gene mixed tequila with lime juice, crème de cassis*, and sparkling water, and after dropping a Luxardo cherry into his creation, a Tequila Sunrise was born…

Gene’s cocktail was locally popular but didn’t go much beyond the Biltmore. Across most of America, tequila was not considered a spirit with the same status as gin, Scotch or even vodka. Beyond the Margarita, it just wasn’t used by many mixologists.

Fast forward to June 6, 1972, when the Rolling Stones were about to launch their first American concert tour since the infamous Altamont Speedway Free Festival in December 1969. This “Woodstock of the West” is remembered for Hells’ Angles as security guards, a lot of violence, and the stabbing death of one concert goer by the Angles. Even though the Stones were only one act on a star-studded bill, and they hadn’t hired the Angles, the media blamed the “bad boys of rock & roll” for the tragedy.

To kick off the new tour, famed concert promoter Bill Graham rented out Sausalito’s Trident restaurant for a private party. The Trident had a long-running relationship with the hippie counterculture and rock musicians. Janis Joplin had her own table. The Grateful Dead were regulars too.

During the party either Keith Richards or Mick Jagger (the story is told both ways) stepped up to the bar and ordered a Margarita. The bartender Bobby Lozoff offered his version of the Tequila Sunrise and replied, “Have you ever tried this drink?”

Keith or Mick (take your pick) replied, “Alcohol? I’ll try it.”

*crème de cassis is a French liqueur made from blackcurrants known for its deep purple color plus a sweet and tart taste.

Bobby’s Sunrise was different from the Arizona original. Both started with tequila but instead of lime and sparkling water, he added orange juice and grenadine with an orange slice and a cherry for garnish. The grenadine drifting down through the orange juice created colors reminiscent of a sunrise.

Bobby explained to the Stones that they wouldn’t need to travel with a bartender, just a bottle of Cuervo, orange juice, and grenadine. They loved the drink and took it across the country. Keith Richards dubbed the tour the “cocaine and Tequila Sunrise tour”. Rock & Roll had a mascot cocktail.

A year later, the Eagles memorialized the drink in their hit “Tequila Sunrise”. Before long the drink’s famous look became a color used in lip gloss and nail polish. There were Tequila Sunrise candles and Harley-Davidson made it an official color for their motorcycles. In 1988, it became a movie starring Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Kurt Russel.

At one point, Jose Cuervo released a commemorative line of tequilas featuring the Rolling Stones. One special version sold for $4,000 a bottle. Riding the drink’s popularity, they created a Super Bowl commercial in 2016 featuring Bobby Lozoff and the Trident. The Marin History Museum honored the Trident and the Tequila Sunrise with an historic marker installed in 2023.

Cocktail recipes tend to evolve and over time, the Sunrise came to include crème de cassis which improved the sunrise effect of the drink.

June 21st is officially designated as National Tequila Sunrise Day.

 

The Original Tequila Sunrise (Arizona Biltmore)

  • 1 ½ ounce tequila
  • ¾ ounce of crème de cassis
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • 4 oz club soda
  • Luxardo cherry for garnish

Shake the tequila and lime juice in a cocktail shaker over ice. Strain into a chilled glass filled with ice, top with club soda. Add the crème de cassis and let it sink to the bottom. Garnish with a lime slice and cherry.

Bobby Lozoff’s Preferred Tequila Sunrise

  • 1 ½ ounces Santo Tequila Blanco
  • 1 ½ ounces fresh-squeezed orange juice
  • ½ ounce fresh lime juice
  • 1/8 ounce grenadine
  • 1/8 ounce crème de cassis
  • 1 Maraschino stemmed cherry
  • 1 orange slice

Combine tequila, orange juice and lime juice with ice in a mixing glass and stir. Strain into a Hurricane glass filled with ice. Add crème de cassis and grenadine and allow them to sink to create the sunrise effect. Garnish with orange and cherry.