Mezcal Sunrise
All the drama of a Tequila Sunrise with a smokier sunrise. Grenadine sinks to the bottom while mezcal and orange juice glow above, making a cocktail as striking to look at as it is to drink.
- 2 ozmezcal
- 3 ozorange juice
- ½ ozgrenadine
- Orange slice and cherrygarnish
- 1Fill a highball glass with ice cubes.
- 2Pour the mezcal over the ice, then add the orange juice and stir briefly to combine.
- 3Slowly pour the grenadine down the inside edge of the glass or over the back of a barspoon so it sinks to the bottom and creates a gradient.
- 4Do not stir after adding the grenadine.
- 5Garnish with an orange slice and a cocktail cherry.
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The Tequila Sunrise became one of the defining cocktails of the 1970s, popularized in part by the Rolling Stones who reportedly made it their tour drink in 1972. The original recipe layered tequila, orange juice, and grenadine in a glass to create a gradient resembling a desert dawn. The mezcal adaptation followed naturally as craft mezcal expanded from sipping culture into the broader cocktail world in the 2010s. By substituting mezcal for tequila, the familiar layered visual gains an earthy, smoky undertone that gives the beloved classic a more complex character.
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Everything you need to make a great Mezcal Sunrise at home.
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