This week marks the annual celebration of National Tequila Day. The preferred spirit of our neighbors to the south is a sensationally complex libation that conjures the subtleties of sparse desert vegetation. Aside from being a great sipper, tequila lends itself to so many lovably classic mixtures. Of course you have spent many a day in some far off vacation wonderland cooling off to the time-honored tang of a Margarita. Chances are, you’ve also  enjoyed a Tequila Sunrise at some hazy point in your past. In order to spice things up a bit, however, I have created a subtle variation on the Sunrise that brings a bit more zest and a tiny bit less sweetness to the table. This works well for my tastes because, first of all, I like things a little bit spicy. Secondly, sweet drinks can spell hangover hell for me, so I tend to avoid them whenever possible. My variation is simple, yet unexpected–it adds some muddled ginger into the mix. I call it the Tequila Sunset. Check it out:

This is an incredibly easy concoction to assemble, you just need a good tequila–I prefer Maestro Dobel Diamond–some fresh squeezed orange juice and a few slices of shaved ginger. Pour about 4oz. of the fruit juice into a shaker on ice and then add around 2.5oz. of the tequila on top, add around 3-4 pieces of shaved ginger slivers into the mix, making sure to muddle them well before vigorously shaking the whole combination for a few moments. Pour it all out into a highball glass (rimmed with sugar, if you so desire) with a few ice cubes and garnish with a pretty little slice of orange. A little bit of sweet, a little bit of spice, and whole lot of nice.