Ruby Rum Sunrise

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 01/26/23
Ruby Rum Sunrise

The Spruce / S&C Design Studios 

Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

A switch to rum and grapefruit makes a fantastically tart upgrade to the tequila sunrise. In the ruby rum sunrise, you'll enjoy the experience of rising grenadine as you drink. The only differences here are that it's set against a lighter, ruby red grapefruit backdrop and prefers rum over tequila.

Although you could simply build the ingredients in the glass, it's actually better to shake them before straining over ice. It makes the entire drink lighter and ensures the sour mix is sufficiently blended into the drink.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces rum

  • 1 1/2 ounces ruby red grapefruit juice

  • 1/2 ounce sour mix

  • 1/2 ounce grenadine

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour the rum, grapefruit juice, and sour mix.

  3. Shake well.

  4. Strain into an old-fashioned glass over with fresh ice.

  5. Pour grenadine on top until it covers the bottom of the glass.

  6. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

  • Add more grapefruit juice if you like. The drink can still have a good balance of sweet and tart with 2 or 3 ounces of juice. If it becomes too tart, you can always add another splash of grenadine.
  • Light rum is a great choice for this mixed drink and it's also very interesting with aged rums.
  • Sour mix is very easy to make at home because it's just a citrus flavored syrup. To make it, bring 1 cup of water to a boil, stir in 1 cup of sugar until it dissolves, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup each of lemon and lime juices, let it cool and you're done!
  • You can also make grenadine in a similar manner, using 2 cups each of pomegranate juice and sugar (no water required). When bottling, it's nice to add a couple of dashes of orange flower water.
  • Fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice is worth your time in this cocktail, though bottled juice works just fine. A single grapefruit can yield up to 6 ounces of juice, so you'll have plenty for a few cocktails or enough to store in the refrigerator for later.

Recipe Variation

Have fun with flavored rum in this drink. Citrus rum would be an excellent choice and you can even ramp up the grapefruit with that flavor of rum. Other good options worth trying include tropical fruits like mango and pineapple. Vanilla rum will add a nice, rich flavor dimension, too.

How Strong Is a Ruby Rum Sunrise?

Rum is the only liquor in this cocktail, so it is a pretty mild drink. If you were to pour an 80-proof rum, its alcohol content should fall into the 16 percent ABV (32 proof) range. That's just slightly stronger than the average Rum & Coke.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
211 Calories
0g Fat
21g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 211
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 7mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 8%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 14mg 68%
Calcium 5mg 0%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 64mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)