This Sea Breeze cocktail will have you dreaming of sitting on the beach reading a good book. The sweet and sour flavors perfectly balance out the vodka in this easy three ingredient cocktail.
This is such a great recipe! It has the sweetness of cranberry and sourness of grapefruit to make the perfect sweet-and-sour drink. While originally made with gin and grenadine, the classic Sea Breeze cocktail changed mid-20th century to the drink we know today.
Sea Breeze Cocktail Ingredients
Just three ingredients combine in this summery cocktail. Here is a little bit about what we are using and why. For the ingredient measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Vodka: See our recommendations below for the best vodka for cocktails.
- Cranberry juice cocktail: Avoid 100% cranberry juice since it will have no sweetness. Instead, buy a cranberry juice cocktail which has other fruit juices that will add a sweet flavor.
- Grapefruit juice: This tart ingredient adds the sour, perfectly complementing the other ingredients.
How to Make a Sea Breeze
This drink comes together in just a few simple steps. The full recipe card can be found at the bottom of the page.
- Combine the ingredients. Stir the vodka, cranberry juice cocktail, and grapefruit juice together.
- Add to a tumbler of ice.
- Garnish and enjoy! Add a lime wedge for a refreshing citrus garnish.
Make a Pitcher
This recipe is so easy to make for a crowd! Double or triple the recipe in a pitcher, and then pour into tumblers of ice for each guest. Garnish each glass with a lime wedge and enjoy!
Best Vodka For a Sea Breeze
Vodka has multiple levels of quality and price points and it is easy to find something good at each level. Keep in mind that since this is a mixed drink, you don’t need to break the bank on a top-shelf bottle of vodka.
At the higher end, we like Grey Goose and Belvedere. In the middle, we think Tito’s offers a good quality. Then at the low end, we really find Smirnoff and Kirkland’s vodka to be pretty good and comparable to high-end vodka.
In blind taste tests, Kirkland’s French Vodka ranks near the top and is about a third of the cost. Kirkland’s regular vodka also works well in mixed drinks. You cannot go wrong with any of these choices and may even save some money by skipping the high-end vodkas when mixing.
Sea Breeze Variations
If you’re looking to switch up your Sea Breeze drink, try these fun variations!
- Bay Breeze: Replace the grapefruit juice with pineapple juice.
- Cape Codder/Vodka Cranberry: Skip grapefruit juice.
- Salty Dog: Salt the rim and skip the cranberry juice.
Other Summer Drinks
If you try this Sea Breeze cocktail, leave a comment and let us know what you think!
Sea Breeze
Ingredients
Instructions
- Combine the vodka, cranberry juice, and grapefruit juice into a tumbler with ice.
- Stir to combine.
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