The Sea Breeze is a deliciously fruity cocktail that has a bit of a bite. Cocktails like the Sea Breeze, which only require a few ingredients, are perfect drinks to serve at large parties and celebrations because you can make a tray full of them lighting fast. Take a look at the best way to make this classic cocktail and get inspired by some of the variations for ideas on how you can put your own personal spin on the drink's formula.
Sea Breeze
Sea breezes are relatively unique in that they belong to a category of drinks that're mixed directly in the glass. To make one for yourself, just combine grapefruit juice, cranberry juice, and vodka over ice and stir.
Ingredients
- Ice
- 1 ounce grapefruit juice
- 4 ounces cranberry juice
- 1½ ounces vodka
- Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball glass filled with ice, combine the grapefruit juice, cranberry juice, and vodka.
- Stir with a cocktail spoon.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
Modern Sea Breeze Variations
Thanks to the drink's simple construction, there's a lot of room left for you and your friends to experiment with using different flavor combinations, from sweet and spicy, to rich and deep. From fruit juices like orange juice to liqueurs and schnapps, here are a few of the quickest ways that you can add a personal touch to this delicious drink.
Bay Breeze
The bay breeze substitutes pineapple juice for the grapefruit juice in the original recipe, resulting in a cocktail that's sweeter than its predecessor.
Ingredients
- Ice
- 4 ounces cranberry juice
- 2 ounce pineapple juice
- 1½ ounces vodka
- Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball or hurricane glass filled with ice, combine the cranberry juice, pineapple juice, and vodka.
- Stir together with a cocktail spoon.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
Cape Codder
This popular vacation cocktail is considered by many to be a minimalist version of the sea breeze. Eliminate the grapefruit juice from the original mixture, and you have yourself a Cape Codder.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vodka
- Ice
- Cranberry juice
- Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball glass, pour the vodka.
- Add ice and top with cranberry juice.
- Stir with a cocktail spoon.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
Madras
Named after the famous cotton plaid that's often used in summer fashion, this drink substitutes orange juice for grapefruit juice.
Ingredients
- Ice
- 2 ounces cranberry juice
- 2 ounces orange juice
- 2 ounces vodka
- Orange wedge for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball glass filled with ice, combine the cranberry juice, orange juice, and vodka.
- Stir with a cocktail spoon.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
Cuban Breeze
With this Cuban breeze recipe, you can make yourself a drink that has a tropical kick; just combine amaretto and vodka together and top the mixture off with pineapple juice.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce amaretto
- 2 ounces vodka
- Ice
- Pineapple Juice
- Pineapple wedge and cherry skewer for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball or hurricane glass filled with ice, combine the amaretto and vodka.
- Top with pineapple juice.
- Garnish with a pineapple wedge and cherry skewer.
Peach Breeze
An easy and interesting way for newer mixologists to customize their sea breezes is to add a touch of flavored liqueurs to the original recipe. For example, this peach breeze takes the original formula and just adds an ounce of peach schnapps to the drink for a hint of peachy goodness.
Ingredients
- Ice
- 1 ounce peach schnapps
- 2 ounces cranberry juice
- 2 ounces grapefruit juice
- 1 ounce vodka
- Peach wedge for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball glass filled with ice, combine the peach schnapps, cranberry juice, grapefruit juice, and vodka.
- Stir with a cocktail spoon.
- Garnish with a peach wedge.
Ways to Garnish a Sea Breeze
Since sea breezes are such an easy cocktail to craft, don't feel like you need to overcompensate their presentation with complicated garnishes. Rather, a simple slice of fruit or dash of spice here and there can turn your drink into something eye-popping. Here are a few of the ways you can garnish a Sea Breeze and its many iterations:
- Place a slice of fresh fruit on the rim to add a pop of color to your cocktail.
- Adding cranberry or cherry skewers will elevate this simple drink's appearance.
- You can add a few fresh herbs from your garden or local farmer's market to the drink to support your local community.
- Adding an umbrella or interesting swizzle stick can bring some pizazz to this cocktail recipe.
- For extra sweetness and a touch of color, float some grenadine on top of the final mixture.
Sea Breezes by the Sea Shore
Their simple instructions and pantry-staple ingredients make sea breezes incredibly easy to make, even for amateur mixologists. Once you're comfortable mixing the ingredients together, you can start playing around with ratios of strong to sweet by adjusting the amount of booze and juice you put into each glass. Just remember that half of the fun of mixing drinks is discovering new favorites along the way.
