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Cocktail History
The Tatooine Sunset is a Star Wars cocktail that was created by Cassandra Reeder and was first published in her book The Geeky Bartender Drinks: Real-Life Recipes for Fantasy Cocktails. According to the author, it’s an interpretation of what the companion book Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know lists as one of the top five drinks served at Chalmun’s Spaceport Cantina on Mos Eisley. She explains that she intentionally chose tequila as the base spirit and paired it with other ingredients that are inspired by desert plants and, when carefully layered, form the colors of a vibrant sunset similar to those seen on Tatooine in the Star Wars movies. She also garnished the recipe with two cherries as a nod to the planet’s two moons.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Tequila Blanco: This is a spirit made with unaged agave and water. We used El Jimador Tequila Silver because it has a light and palatable agave flavor with notes of grapefruit and apple. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Agave Blanco Spirit in place of the tequila.
Blue Curaçao: This is a liqueur made with oranges, sugar, spices, blue food coloring, and alcohol. We used DeKuyper Blue Curaçao Liqueur because it has a potent orange flavor and bright blue color. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monin Premium Blue Curaçao Syrup in place of the blue curaçao liqueur.
Pomegranate Juice: This is the liquid juice of a pomegranate. We used POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice.
Grenadine: This is a sweetener made with pomegranate juice and white sugar. We made ours at home using Alex’s stovetop recipe.
Orange Juice: This is the liquid juice of an orange. We used freshly squeezed orange juice.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. We used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Cherries: This is a fruit that has been soaked in brandy and rich syrup. We used Luxardo Maraschino Cherries because they’re high quality and delicious.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Mixing Glass: This is used to hold the ingredients while they’re being stirred. We used the Viski 17 oz Cocktail Mixing Glass.
Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.
Julep Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is stirred. We used the A Bar Above Julep Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. We used one from the I-MART Stainless Steel Cocktail Pick Set.
Tasting Notes
When not mixed, the Tatooine Sunset features the prominent aromas and flavors of tequila and orange at first. Once mixed, the drink is very fruity with flavors that are largely indistinguishable from one another, with mostly just noticeable citrus from the orange juice and curaçao.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Our palates are more developed than the average imbiber’s, so we aren’t likely to whip this one up again because the taste was a bit uninteresting. But it was great layering practice! Just look at those colors.
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Geeky Bartender Drinks: Real-Life Recipes for Fantasy Cocktails by Cassandra Reeder.
Tatooine Sunset
The Tatooine Sunset is a Star Wars cocktail that was created by Cassandra Reeder and was first published in her book The Geeky Bartender Drinks: Real-Life Recipes for Fantasy Cocktails. According to the author, it’s an interpretation of what the companion book Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know lists as one of the top five drinks served at Chalmun’s Spaceport Cantina on Mos Eisley. She explains that she intentionally chose tequila as the base spirit and paired it with other ingredients that are inspired by desert plants and, when carefully layered, form the colors of a vibrant sunset similar to those seen on Tatooine in the Star Wars movies. She also garnished the recipe with two cherries as a nod to the planet’s two moons.
Ingredients
Method
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Add grenadine and pomegranate juice to a mixing glass.
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Stir for 3-5 seconds.
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Slowly pour into a lowball glass filled with cubed ice.
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Add orange juice and lemon juice to mixing glass.
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Stir for 3-5 seconds.
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Slowly pour into lowball glass without stirring.
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Add tequila and blue curaçao to mixing glass.
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Stir for 3-5 seconds.
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Slowly pour into lowball glass without stirring.
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Garnish with cherries.
FAQs
How do I make this cocktail recipe non-alcoholic?
Use Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Agave Blanco Spirit in place of the tequila and Monin Premium Blue Curaçao Syrup in place of the blue curaçao liqueur to try a mocktail version of this drink.
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More Star Wars Cocktails
If you like this Star Wars-inspired cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Tarkenian Night Flower: A gin cocktail made with huckleberry syrup, elderflower liqueur, hibiscus grenadine, lime juice, ginger beer, and a candied hibiscus flower
The Short Stormtrooper: A mezcal cocktail made with lime juice, blue curaçao, white dragon fruit syrup, toasted coconut, allspice, and pineapple bitters, soda water, and an orange peel
Yub Nub: A spiced rum cocktail made with passion fruit syrup, lime juice, pineapple rum, aromatic bitters, and passion fruit seeds
My Only Hope: A rum cocktail made with star fruit syrup, lime juice, brandy, ginger liqueur, and a star fruit slice
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