Sea Breeze
Just like its name, this cocktail is a simple affair, and perfect for a day out at the beach. It features vodka and two juices on the red spectrum—cranberry and grapefruit. It was first made in the 1920s and like most cocktails, the ancestor Sea Breeze was no different, it differed a lot from the recipe we have today. Sea Breeze back in the day used gin, brandy, grenadine syrup and lemon juice. It might have had its variations over the years but it has remained a popular summer staple for years.
Since its inception, the Sea Breeze has always been a popular drink, but it took a nosedive around the 1950s-1960s. This had something to do with a public panic when a bunch of berries in the US were found to contain cancerous herbicides. The government had warned the people to abstain from consuming cranberry if they didn't know its source. To save the farmers from their losses, a collective made up of the farmers called the Ocean Spray, introduced what was the first modern version of the sea breeze. This came through a booklet where they published multiple ways to consume cranberries, in liquid or solid form. It contained the three staple ingredients—vodka, cranberry juice and grapefruit juice. Gin was introduced first, then vodka slowly crept up. By the 1980s, the cocktail was restored to its former glory and peaked.
The earlier versions used gin and had something to do with Erik Ellestad who used to keep a blog called The Savoy Stomp. Ellestad was working on Harry Craddock’s book called The Savoy Cocktail Book from the 1930s. Under the section called coolers, there was something under the name of Sea Breeze that called for lemon juice, grenadine syrup, brandy and dry gin on the rocks, with a dash of soda and garnished with mint. Multiple versions of a similar drink existed during the same time with an ingredient or two cut out or replaced.
The Sea Breeze is a classic vodka-long drink that is as refreshing as it is simple to make. If you're making it for a party or a group of people, consider making it in jugs as you would do for lemonade. Cranberry and grapefruit as fruits are not too sweet so in case you can't stand the tartness, it's advisable to go for the packaged drinks which already have added sugar to them. If you swear by aeration, you can always add a little club soda to it, that's purely optional. If you're good with using the fruits, here's how to go about making the drink:
Ingredients
Method
Slice half a grapefruit and squeeze out the juice.
Grab a highball glass, fill it up with ice then pour in the vodka, grapefruit juice and cranberry juice.
Stir and serve or drink up.
Adjust with sugar syrup if the sweetness is less. You can also add soda for a lighter flavour.
