Which cocktail is built with tequila and orange juice, with grenadine sinking to the bottom?

• A. Tequila Sunrise
• B. Rusty Nail
• C. Godfather
• D. Cuba Libre

Answer: (A)

Layered drinks rely on density to create a visual gradient. Grenadine is denser than orange juice, so when you pour it slowly into tequila mixed with orange juice, it sinks to the bottom and stays there, producing a red layer at the base with an orange top—this “sunrise” effect is the hallmark of this cocktail. The mix that uses tequila and orange juice with grenadine layered in is the Tequila Sunrise. Other options use different base spirits or mixers: a Rusty Nail blends scotch with Drambuie, a Godfather combines scotch and amaretto, and a Cuba Libre uses rum with cola. None of these match the tequila-and-orange-juice plus grenadine layering.