Sea Breeze

It might sound like something served on Saved by the Bell: The College Years, but the Sea Breeze drink dates back nearly a century. Some historians believe this vodka cocktail derives from the Sea Breeze Cooler, a drink recipe in legendary bartender Harry Craddock’s 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book. Craddock’s version was made with gin, apricot brandy, lemon, grenadine, and club soda. Others say it stemmed from a midcentury Ocean Spray campaign to promote its fruit juices. Outreach included a cranberry juice cocktail named—you guessed it—the Sea Breeze.

So, what’s in a classic Sea Breeze cocktail recipe? It’s an easy-peasy mix of grapefruit juice, cranberry juice, and vodka over ice in a highball glass, garnished with a grapefruit wedge. Easy to make and to love, the refreshing cocktail is a quintessential summer drink. 

Similar gin and vodka cocktails abound. There’s the Bay Breeze or Hawaiian Sea Breeze, both of which combine vodka with cranberry and pineapple juices. The Cape Codder is a vodka-cranberry drink garnished with a lime wedge or lime slice. And the Greyhound features vodka plus grapefruit juice, while a Salty Dog is the same thing but garnished with a salted rim.

With few ingredients and nonexistent prep time, these easy cocktails stand the test of time. Whether you are toasting 100 years of bartending history or simply looking to cool down on a hot summer day, a sip from a Sea Breeze never disappoints.