This Sea Breeze Cocktail is the perfect summer drink for any time of day. If you love tropical vodka drinks, you will love the Sea Breeze!
There are lots of “breeze” cocktails out there including the Ocean Breeze, the Bay Breeze and the Island Breeze but the Sea Breeze is perhaps the most well-known.
Be warned, while most of the breezy cocktails are known for their sweet tropical taste, the Sea Breeze has a sour kick to it that is refreshing on a hot day. If you love tart drinks, this one is for you.
This post contains affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure for more information.
RELATED POSTS
Ocean Breeze Drink Recipe
Banana Rum Cocktail Recipe
Blue Lagoon Cocktail Recipe
Sea Breeze Cocktail History
The original Sea Breeze cocktail has gin instead of vodka and it was created during the late 1920s. Many records also show grenadine being used instead of the cranberry juice.
Cranberries didn’t become popular until the late 1960s and 70s when the cranberry growers of America started a campaign to revive the fruit after some bad press.
Recipe books abounded and the Sea Breeze was somewhat reinvented until it hit peak popularity with the yuppies and wall street types of the 1980s.
Does Sea Breeze have alcohol in it?
The modern version of the Sea Breeze contains vodka as the primary alcohol. It is in the same family as drinks such as Sex On The Beach, The Bay Breeze and The Island Breeze.
What is the difference between a Bay Breeze and a Sea Breeze?
The main different between the Bay Breeze and the Sea Breeze are the mixers.
Both contain vodka as the alcohol but where the Sea Breeze uses grapefruit juice for a tart kick, the Bay Breeze goes the sweet route with pineapple juice.
What Color Is A Sea Breeze Cocktail?
Most people expect the Sea Breeze to be one of the tropical blue cocktails like the Blue lagoon and Ocean Breeze but in fact the cranberries give it a more pinkish hue.
Sea Breeze Cocktail Variations
The Sea Breeze has been through many incarnations and lots of variations have come about.
I already mentioned that the original Sea Breeze Cocktail contained gin rather than vodka.
There are a few other varieties such as:
Winter Sea Breeze Cocktail
The winter Sea Breeze is a really pretty drink that is just tart enough. To make it, use pink grapefruit juice instead of regular and sub in white cranberry juice for the red version.
The resulting drink is a light pink cocktail that is just sweet enough.
Sea Breeze Mocktail
The Sea Breeze is one drink that is easy to turn into a mocktail. The combination of grapefruit juice and cranberry juice makes it a hit from the get-go – nothing else needed!
How To Make A Sea Breeze Cocktail
To make a sea breeze you start with a vodka cranberry drink (a classic Cape Codder) and then add grapefruit juice.
I recommend using sweetened cranberry juice if you don’t like your drinks too tart. This one really has a kick to it if you are not expecting it!
Sea Breeze Cocktail Recipe
The Sea Breeze cocktail has been popular since the 1980's when it was the Brat pack drink of choice.
Fast forward 30 years and is it still a hit year round with its mix of sweet and tart.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz Vodka
- 3 oz Cranberry Juice
- 1 1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice
- 1 wedge of lime to garnish
Instructions
- Combine the vodka, cranberry and grapefruit juices
- Pour over ice
- Garnish with a wedge of lime
More Delicious Cocktail Recipes
Watermelon Shot Recipe (Refreshing and Easy)
Tequila And Peach Schnapps Cocktail
