The Tequila Sunrise rose to popularity when Americans were looking south of the border during Prohibition to find a decent cocktail. While sunrise recipes commonly call for orange juice, Bobby Heugel’s version reflects early accounts of the popular border beverage, which omit the fruit juice altogether, relying instead on a combination of cassis and grenadine. The tart and fruity elements of the cassis tend to bring out the fruitier notes in the tequila, making this a more complex take on the oft-maligned drink.
Bobby Heugel’s Tequila Sunrise
Bobby Heugel, Anvil | Houston

Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 1 1/2 ounces blanco tequila
- 3/4 ounce lemon juice
- 1/2 ounce crème de cassis
- 1/4 ounce grenadine
Garnish: lemon slice and blackberry
Directions
- In a Collins glass, stir together the cassis and grenadine. Fill the glass with crushed ice.
- In a shaker, combine the tequila and lemon juice and shake without ice.
- Pour over ice into the glass, and garnish with a lemon slice and blackberry.