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In the 1920s, Gene Sulit – an American bartender at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel – was looking to showcase tequila in new ways since it was becoming increasingly popular. He combined Tequila, soda water, lime juice, and liqueur to create the first 'Tequila Sunrise'. But it wasn’t until it travelled further west to Sausalito, in the Bay area of California that it took on its final form.
Bobby Lozoff and Billy Rice, bartenders at the Trident restaurant decided to reinvent the drink for a private party but this time with Tequila, orange juice, and grenadine. This party just happened to be organised by Bill Graham, a music producer and promoter who represented some of the biggest bands of the 1960s, organised for rock idols, The Rolling Stones. Lead singer Mick Jagger reportedly ordered a Margarita but Lozoff had recently perfected his recipe and decided to serve up Tequila Sunrise instead.
“A shot of tequila with one hand, a shot of sweet and sour with the other hand, the soda gun, then orange juice, float crème de cassis on top, grenadine if you wanted.” He sent the drink over to Jagger and after a sip he called for a round for the whole band. They loved it so much that one round turned into dozens and they spent the night throwing back cocktails.
Before the band left in the wee hours of the morning, their manager stopped by the bar to meet Lozoff and collect the recipe. The very next day two bottles of José Cuervo, a gallon of orange juice and a bottle of grenadine were all added to the official rider for their tour and would be ready and waiting in the green room before each show. As they were photographed more and more with the cocktail in every city they visited, the notoriety soon spread.
That’s all it took to catapult this once-unknown cocktail to stardom, and soon other bands were also jumping on the bandwagon. In 1973, The Eagles released ‘Tequila Sunrise’ which quickly cracked the Top 40 and in 1988 a Hollywood Movie starring Mel Gibson and Michelle Pfeiffer added to the cocktail’s fame.
But like so many stories in the world of rock and roll, a swift ascent to fame also came with a swift downfall and after the boom, it had in the 70s and 80s, the Tequila Sunrise was soon eclipsed by drinks that were focused on complex flavours and mixology. The drink with its artificial orange base and sweet grenadine was no longer in vogue but still remains a favourite among some drinkers who enjoy its sweet and tangy flavour. Despite its general trajectory, the cocktail has earned itself a place in the hall of fame and is securely a part of American music and mixology history.
