Sun Cruiser Recipe

Chill glass

Place a highball or Collins glass in the freezer for 5–10 minutes or fill it with ice water while you prepare the cocktail to chill.

Combine base spirits and juices

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add 2 oz light rum, 1 oz vodka, 3 oz fresh orange juice, 1 oz pineapple juice, and 0.5 oz fresh lime juice to the shaker.

Add modifiers and sweetener

Add 0.25 oz maraschino liqueur, 0.25 oz simple syrup, and 2 dashes of Angostura bitters to the shaker.

Shake

Cap the shaker and shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds until the exterior of the shaker is well-chilled and slightly frosted.

Prepare glass and layer grenadine

Discard ice water from the chilled glass if used and add fresh ice to fill. Pour 0.5 oz grenadine into the bottom of the glass—do not stir. The grenadine will sink and create the 'sunrise' color.

Strain and pour

Strain the shaken mixture over the fresh ice in the glass, pouring gently to float the juices over the grenadine and create a layered gradient.

Garnish with an orange wheel and a maraschino cherry on a cocktail pick. Optionally, add a short straw and give the drink to the guest with a small stirrer so they can swirl if they want to fully mix the layers.

Serve immediately. Explain that the cocktail is best enjoyed chilled and sipped slowly so the layered 'sun' effect is appreciated; stirring will blend the flavors — citrus-forward with a gentle sweetness from grenadine and maraschino.