Vodka Cranberry
Vodka and cranberry juice over ice with a lime wedge. The Cape Codder — invented to sell cranberries in the 1940s and the simplest tart highball at the bar.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Fill a highball glass with ice.
Add the vodka and cranberry juice.
Squeeze a lime wedge over the drink and drop it in.
Stir once and serve.
A thoughtful finish
- Squeeze the lime in; the drink needs the acid.
- A splash of soda lengthens it and cuts the sweetness.
- Unsweetened cranberry with half an ounce of simple syrup is the grown-up version.
Common mistakes
- No lime, which leaves it flat and sweet.
- Warm juice over too little ice.
- Cranberry 'juice drink' with more sugar than fruit.
A few good questions.
What does a Vodka Cranberry taste like?
Tart, sweet cranberry with lime and vodka's warmth — clean and simple.
Is it the same as a Cape Codder?
Yes; Cape Codder is the drink's proper name.
What is the difference from a Sea Breeze?
A Sea Breeze adds grapefruit juice; a Bay Breeze adds pineapple.
Why did Ocean Spray invent it?
To sell cranberry juice to bars in 1945.
Variations
- Sea Breeze — Vodka, cranberry and grapefruit.
- Bay Breeze — Vodka, cranberry and pineapple.
- Madras — Vodka, cranberry and orange juice.
- Cosmopolitan — Citrus vodka, Cointreau, lime and cranberry.
Where it comes from
1945 · Massachusetts, United States · Ocean Spray
The Ocean Spray cranberry cooperative promoted ‘the Red Devil’ — vodka and cranberry juice — in 1945 to get its juice into bars, and the drink was renamed the Cape Codder in the 1960s for the Massachusetts cranberry country. Most people just call it a vodka cranberry. It is the base of a family: with grapefruit it is a Sea Breeze, with pineapple a Bay Breeze, with orange juice a Madras, with peach schnapps and orange a Sex on the Beach. The lime wedge matters; cranberry juice cocktail is sweetened and the lime keeps it tart. Made with unsweetened cranberry and a touch of simple syrup it is a different, sharper and better drink.
Sources
- Ocean Spray company history, current (producer)
- Gary Regan, The Joy of Mixology, 2003 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Cape Codder, 2010 (reference)
Strength. About 1.33 US standard drinks at an estimated 11.6% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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