Updated July 2026.
The IBA Tequila Sunrise is 45 ml tequila, 90 ml fresh orange juice, and 15 ml grenadine. That 45 ml of 40% tequila is one NIAAA standard drink. A 2-ounce bar pour is 1.33 drinks. “Best tequila” is a 100% agave blanco that still tastes like agave after orange and pomegranate syrup. This is not a 2023 top-15 tasting. Grenadine is not extra ethanol unless the brand fortifies it — read that bottle.
Gold / joven mixtos make a sweeter, caramel-colored sunrise. Reposado is legal; it adds oak. Related: margarita tequila, silver vs gold, tequila types.
What the highball actually needs
| Job | Typical bottles | Why |
|---|---|---|
| IBA 40% tequila | 100% agave blanco (Hornitos, Milagro, Espolòn, Olmeca Altos) | Same 1.00 drink per 45 ml at 40% |
| Skip for this drink | Extra añejo; flavored lime/pineapple tequila | Oak or sugar on orange + grenadine |
| Mixer | Fresh orange + grenadine; do not stir (IBA) | Sunrise is a color effect, not a proof |
| Watch | Mixto gold | Legal if labeled; different drink |
Four IBA Sunrises are four drinks from the tequila. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target. Orange juice calories are the mixer, not a hangover cancel. Hours to buy the bottle are state law. No 2026 MSRP. Pour math: tequila drinks.
Sources
- IBA Tequila Sunrise (fetched ): 45 ml tequila, 90 ml fresh orange, 15 ml grenadine; do not stir.
- CRT blanco; TTB 27 CFR 5.148. Most US bottles 40%.
- NIAAA standard drink (December 2025). No invented ranking or MSRP.