Sea Breeze
Vodka, cranberry and grapefruit over ice. The 1980s highball that Ocean Spray built — tart, pink and refreshing when the juices are good.
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 and stir.
Float the grapefruit juice on top, or stir it in.
Squeeze a lime wedge over and drop it in.
A thoughtful finish
- Unsweetened cranberry juice and fresh grapefruit make a tart, dry highball; sweetened 'cranberry cocktail' makes a soft drink. The sugar level of the cranberry is the whole difference.
- A squeeze of lime is not traditional but every bartender adds it.
- Shake it briefly if you want it colder and frothier; built over ice is the classic.
Common mistakes
- Sweetened cranberry cocktail, which is mostly sugar.
- Bottled grapefruit juice; it is flat and sweet.
- Too much vodka. It is a long, light drink.
A few good questions.
What is the difference between a Sea Breeze and a Cape Codder?
Grapefruit juice. A Cape Codder is vodka and cranberry; a Sea Breeze adds grapefruit. A Bay Breeze uses pineapple instead; a Madras uses orange.
Can I use gin?
Yes — gin, cranberry and grapefruit is drier and more interesting, and closer to the drink's 1930s name.
How strong is it?
Around 10% ABV in a six-ounce drink — a light, long highball.
Which cranberry juice?
Unsweetened or 100% juice, cut with a little water or a touch of syrup if it is too tart. The sweetened blends are the reason the drink is thought of as a soda.
Variations
- Cape Codder — Vodka and cranberry.
- Bay Breeze — Vodka, cranberry and pineapple.
- Madras — Vodka, cranberry and orange.
- Greyhound — Vodka and grapefruit.
Where it comes from
c. 1920s name; 1960s–1980s modern form · United States
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
A Sea Breeze of gin, apricot brandy, grenadine and lemon appears in the 1930s, and the name was reused in the 1960s when the cranberry growers’ cooperative Ocean Spray began promoting cranberry juice as a mixer and vodka was taking over American bars. The modern drink — vodka, cranberry, grapefruit — was fixed by the 1980s and sits in a family of cranberry highballs with the Cape Codder (no grapefruit), the Bay Breeze (pineapple instead of grapefruit) and the Madras (orange instead). None has an inventor; all have a marketing department.
Sources
- Gary Regan, The Joy of Mixology, 2003 (book)
- Ocean Spray, cranberry juice history, 1960 (archive)
- Difford's Guide, Sea Breeze, 2015 (reference)
Strength. About 1 US standard drinks at an estimated 8.7% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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