Sea Breeze

Before jumping into the Sea Breeze cocktail’s history, here are some other classic vodka cocktails we think you'll love: the Salty Dog, the Lemon Drop, the White Russian, the Moscow Mule, and the Screwdriver. Now, when it comes to figuring out who first made a particular cocktail, there’s usually a bunch of ambiguity thanks to there being so many conflicting origin stories — as in the case of the Bloody Mary cocktail, for example. But with the Sea Breeze cocktail recipe, that is not the case. Not because it was definitely invented by one particular person though, but because nobody claims to have invented it. At least originally. Apparently the Sea Breeze began as a gin and grenadine cocktail during the Prohibition Era, and was still a gin-based drink even in the 1930s, when apricot brandy and lemon juice were added to the ingredients list. Then, at some point in the 1950s, Ocean Spray — y’know that agricultural cooperative that really loves growing and selling cranberries? — decided to really push its cranberry juice as a mixer for alcoholic drinks. The cranberry growing cooperative published a recipe for a “Harpoon” cocktail on their Ocean Spray juice bottles, which called for vodka, cranberry juice, and lemon juice. Not only did this Ocean Spray recipe give birth to the Sea Breeze cocktail recipe as we know it today, it also helped to spawn drinks such as the Greyhound, the Salty Dog, and the Bay Breeze. Side note: If you love cranberry cocktail recipes, check out these delicious bad boys: the Madras, the Redheaded Slut Shot, the Forbidden Fruit, the Malibu Bay Breeze, and the Cranberry Lime Iced Tea. SEA BREEZE 1 1/2 oz. (45ml) Vodka 3 oz. (90ml) Cranberry Juice 1 oz. (30ml) Grapefruit Juice Garnish: Lime Wheel PREPARATION 1. Add ice to serving glass and pour over vodka, cranberry juice and grapefruit juice. Stir. 2. Garnish with a lime wheel. DRINK RESPONSIBLY!