An ode to ’70s cocktails

Tequila Sunrise

While this cocktail originated at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, it connotes exotic tropical waters as much or more than it does the prickly desert of the Southwest. And unlike some of the giddily monikered libations of its era, the Tequila Sunrise gets high marks for actually resembling its name. A vague simulation of reddish dawn in a deep golden sky (perhaps the inventors predicted the coming decades’ horrible smog), this glass of sleepy sunshine is considered a mild remedy for seasonal affective disorder and a powerful aphrodisiac for those living in the movie “Boogie Nights”. It’s a good bet for folks who want to experience the semi-mystical powers of Mexico's agave liquor without having to lick salt, suck on a lime or look a dead worm in the eye.

The taste
Orange juice with a shot of cough syrup and the funky bark-tincture-meets-turpentine zing of tequila underneath.

The recipe
2 ounces gold tequila
4 ounces orange juice
3/4 ounce grenadine
Pour tequila into a glass half-filled with ice. Add orange juice. Insert a spoon to the bottom of the glass and use it as a conduit, pouring the grenadine down the back of the spoon so that it descends to the bottom of the drink. Garnish with a cherry and an orange slice.

Where to order one
The Blue Room
Boardner’s