In 1972, The Rolling Stones were at the peak of their fame, having just released their first double album, *Exile on Main St.*, and were on the verge of a major U.S. tour. Tour organizer Bill Graham decided to host a welcome party for them at the renowned Trident restaurant on the San Francisco Bay waterfront.
“The Stones were really difficult to manage,” bartender Bobby Lozoff recounted to 7×7 magazine. He wasn’t exaggerating. For instance, Richards later challenged author Truman Capote to a fight during the tour. According to Lozoff, the Stones were brought to the Trident “for a secure, intimate party”—essentially to keep them out of trouble.
Seeing an opportunity to impress their renowned guests, Lozoff and his fellow young bartender, Billy Rice, decided to make their mark. They took an old cocktail recipe from an Arizona hotel, simplified it, and adapted it to highlight the rich, sweet flavor of fresh California oranges—ideal for a midsummer rock ‘n’ roll tour.
“Keith Richards walked up to the bar and asked for a margarita,” Lozoff recalled. “I said, ‘Hey, have you ever tried this drink?’ And he responded, ‘Alcohol? I’ll give it a shot.’” Lozoff served his new creation in a large sherry glass, garnished with a slice of orange and a glacé cherry. Richards was instantly impressed. He called Jagger over, who enjoyed the drink so much that he insisted it become a staple for the rest of the tour.
What was the cocktail, then?
Lozoff had served Jagger and Richards their first tequila sunrise of many. “You could sort of see the light go on in his head. Bingo,” he said, in reference to the Stones’ frontman. “You don’t need a bartender to travel with you; just buy a bottle of Cuervo, a bottle of orange juice, and grenadine. So they picked it up and took it across the country.”
The band’s notorious travels around the United States in the summer of 1972 became known as the “Cocaine and Tequila Sunrise” tour, after the drink Lozoff and Rice had invented. And the Stones’ penchant for white powder, of course. Jagger and Richards asked for the drink everywhere they went, spreading it to all corners of North America.
And so, for every tequila sunrise we drink, we should raise a glass for Mick and Keith. And those two daring young bartenders at the Trident, of course. Without whom this refreshing summer tipple wouldn’t exist.
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