Tequila is one of those drinks I would never think of having by itself. I would never say to myself "I'm in the mood for tequila" and order a drink specifically because it has tequila in it. It just sort of happens that a drink I might like also has tequila in it.

However, tequila is not just for drinking. How about making some Caribbean Island Lime Shrimp, or Ribs with Fiery Mango Marinade, or maybe a Watercress Salad with Tequila Tangerine Dressing? Don't forget some classic drinks, including Long Island Iced Tea and a Tequila Sunrise. Maybe you can even rent the movie tonight and make the drink to celebrate.

Of course, you can't have a Tequila Day without a Margarita or two (or three). And since it's summer, here's a frozen one.

After making margarita cupcakes, I started to wonder what other cocktails would transfer well into cupcake form. The tequila/citrus combination worked so well in the first batch that I decided to try for another, similar drink: Tequila Sunrise. A tequila sunrise is typically made with orange juice, tequila and a splash of grenadine and was easy to adapt to my recipe.

The results were great. The cupcake was moist and lightly orange flavored with a small hint of tequila. These cakes are not particularly sweet, but the icing is, so while it is a good idea to keep the layer of frosting on the thin side, you really need it to make the cocktail-cakes work. Both the orange and the tequila flavors are brighter in the frosting and you can really taste the small splash of grenadine, which I kept to a minimal amount to avoid a pink-colored frosting, that brings the cupcake and the cocktail together.

This is a great cupcake recipe for a party, like New Year's Eve, and can even be brought out for a brunch if you have no objection to cupcakes in the morning.