Sweet Sunrise Mocktail (Virgin Sunrise)
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Sweet Sunrise Mocktail – This colorful virgin sunrise drink is as gorgeous as it is refreshing! It’s the perfect sweet drink to sip for a special occasion.
This easy sunrise mocktail recipe is a winner!
Whether you need a mocktail for a baby shower, brunch, kids’ night, teenager party, or simply to enjoy with fellow non-drinking guests, this virgin sunrise mocktail is one of the prettiest (and easiest!) options out there. The ingredients are as easy as can be, but the presentation is stunning!
It’s a gorgeous layered drink that mimics the summer sunrise, and it’s easy to make a mocktail out of this classic drink. Here’s how we make a Sweets and Thank You Sunrise Mocktail you’ll fall in love with…
This Easy Mocktail Recipe, At A Glance:
What’s In A Virgin Sunrise Drink?
So how do you make a virgin tequila sunrise or virgin sunrise cocktail? Easy! You’ll just layer the following ingredients in a glass:
- Ice. This chills the drink and helps the drink feel a bit bigger. (A virgin sunrise is pretty sweet, so this visually gives you the idea of a bigger drink without overwhelming you with sugar.)
- (Pulp Free) Orange Juice. The better the quality orange juice you use, the better your sweet sunrise mocktail will taste! Fresh orange juice has the best flavor, or we like Simply Orange brand.
- Lemon-Lime Soda (Or Soda Water). This keeps the drink from getting too sour with the juice. I love the subtle citrus flavor it adds!
- Grenadine Syrup. The magic ingredient! This sweet pomegranate juice syrup is poured over the other two layers, sinking to the bottom of the glass and coloring the layers on the way down. It gives the whole drink a gorgeous ombre effect that mimics the sunrise! (We recommend homemade for the best flavor, but store-bought also works.)
- Garnishes! This orange juice grenadine mocktail is pretty gorgeous on its own, but you can dress it up even more with a few of our favorite garnishes!
Try It With Homemade Grenadine!
Store-bought will absolutely work, but it tends to taste overly sweet and artificial to me. Real grenadine only takes 3 ingredients & a few minutes to make and tastes AMAZING. It’s worth it if you have an extra 5 minutes!
How To Make A Virgin Sunrise, Step By STep:
This orange juice and grenadine mocktail only has a few ingredients, but the ORDER you layer them is the most important part of the recipe! Here’s how to get those layers to look extra pretty…
- Start with a cup of ice. Fill a glass with ice. (A narrow, tall cocktail glass look more striking than a short, wide one.) Fill the glass all the way to the top with ice.
- Pour in orange juice. Start the drink by pouring orange juice over the ice. It’ll fill up about 2/3 of the glass or so.
- Top off with lemon-lime soda. Then, add lemon-lime soda. This helps gradate the color and make it look pretty and taste delicious!
- Finish with grenadine. Now you’re ready to finish this mocktail by pouring a splash of grenadine syrup over the top of the drink. It’ll slowly sink to the bottom of the cup, coloring the juice and soda mixture on the way down.
- Give it a gentle swirl. Use a straw or cocktail spoon to give the drink a GENTLE stir. This swirls the color even more. Go slow and don’t swirl too long!
- Add your favorite garnishes. Add a pretty touch with your favorite garnishes. Here are some of our favorites…
WHY IT WORKS: Science! The layers each have a different concentration of sugar. The heaviest, most sugary layer/solution (grenadine) sinks to the bottom, coloring the other layers on the way down.
Pretty Garnishes TO Try On A Sunrise Mocktail:
- Orange Slices or Wedges. I love to play up the elements already in a drink, so a few orange slices or an orange wedge is perfect for a virgin sunrise!
- Maraschino Cherries. These always add a cheery touch! We like the dye-free maraschino cherries from Tillen Farms.
- Edible Flowers. Make your sunrise mocktail feel even more like a tropical vacation by topping it with some edible flowers! I look for these near the fresh herbs in the grocery store. (Though not all stores carry them.)
- Fresh Raspberries or Strawberries. Add an extra fruity touch with some red raspberries or ripe red strawberries.
- Fresh Mint. That pretty pop of green always looks so inviting!
- Striped Straws. These are purely for fun, but my kids love them. We like these eco-friendly ones!
- Paper Umbrellas. A paper umbrella makes each drink look perfect for a party or celebration!
FAQ + Tricks For The Best Sunrise Mocktail Drink:
Layer The Ingredients In Order! My #1 tip for the best sunrise mocktail is to layer the ingredients IN ORDER. The beautiful color doesn’t work the same if you add the grenadine first!
Try It With Homemade Grenadine! Homemade grenadine syrup only takes 3 ingredients about 5 minutes to make, and tastes SO MUCH BETTER than store-bought.
Our Favorite Ice Cube Tray: If you have an ice maker, I am SUPER happy for you! For those of use who *don’t* have one, this is our favorite ice cube tray at the moment. It’s got a plastic border to help the tray hold its shape, and a flexible silicone bottom, which makes it easy to pop the ice cubes out of the tray. The best!
Try These Virgin Sunrise Variations:
- Use Orange-Pineapple Juice instead of regular orange juice to turn this into a Pineapple Sunrise Mocktail!
- Try an Orange Mango Juice blend or a bit of mango nectar for a different tropical twist. (This is my favorite variation!)
- Add A Splash Of Peach Or Passion Fruit Juice. One of my favorites! Try adding a splash of passion fruit juice or peach juice along with the orange juice. It has such a fresh, vibrant taste!
- Change Up The Soda. Swap the lemon-lime soda for another citrus soda or ginger ale!
More Easy Mocktails To Love:
- Classic Shirley Temples
- Strawberry Mint Julep Mocktails – One Lovely Life
- Citrus Orange Mocktails
- Moscow Mule Mocktail
- Mint Limeade (Virgin Mojitos)
- Sparkling Peach Lemonade – All The Healthy Things
WE ♥
Leave a star review below when you try this mocktail recipe! I’d love to know how it goes! Did you sip it for a party? Enjoy it poolside? Tell me everything!
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Sweet Sunrise Mocktail (Virgin Sunrise)
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 Serving 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This colorful virgin sunrise drink is as gorgeous as it is refreshing! It’s the perfect sweet drink to sip for a special occasion. (Non-alcoholic)
Ingredients
For The Sunrise Mocktail:
- Ice
- 4–6 oz. (1/2–3/4 cup) orange juice
- 1/4 cup lemon lime soda (like Sprite or 7-UP)
- 1 oz. (2 Tbsp). grenadine syrup
Optional Garnishes:
- Slice of orange or orange wedges
- Maraschino cherries
- Fresh mint
- Pineapple wedges
- Fresh strawberries or raspberries
Instructions
- Fill a glass with ice. (Narrow glasses look more striking than wide ones.) Fill the glass all the way to the top with ice.
- Pour in orange juice. Start the drink by pouring orange juice over the ice. It’ll fill up about 2/3 of the glass or so.
- Top off with lemon-lime soda. Then, add lemon-lime soda. This helps gradate the color and make it look pretty and taste delicious!
- Finish with grenadine. Now you’re ready to finish this mocktail by pouring the grenadine over the top of the drink. It’ll slowly sink to the bottom, coloring the other two layers on the way down.
- Give it a gentle swirl. Use a straw or cocktail spoon to give the drink a GENTLE stir. This swirls the color even more. Go slow and don’t swirl too long!
- Add your favorite garnishes. Add a pretty touch with your favorite garnishes. Here are some of our favorites…
- Prep Time: 5
- Category: Drink
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
