Cranberry brings the colour and a pleasant tartness, grapefruit adds a bitter-fresh edge that keeps the drink from tasting like juice. On a hot afternoon, a tall glass of it disappears quickly.
3.6Editors’ rating
Taste3.7
Balance3.6
Easy to make4.9
Popularity65
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Tart and fruity with a light bitterness from the grapefruit and a dry finish. Light and very refreshing.
History and origin
The name Sea Breeze is older than the drink most people know. Recipes under that title from the first half of the twentieth century were quite different, often based on gin with other fruit flavours.
The modern version with vodka, cranberry and grapefruit took shape in the United States from the 1960s and 1970s onward, as cranberry juice producers promoted their juice as a mixer. It became one of the defining highballs of the 1980s, alongside its close relatives the Cape Codder (vodka and cranberry) and the Bay Breeze (vodka, cranberry and pineapple).
The International Bartenders Association lists the Sea Breeze among its contemporary classics.
Bartender tips
Use a cranberry juice drink with a real tart edge; very sweet cranberry cocktail makes the Sea Breeze cloying.
Pour the grapefruit juice last for a subtle two-tone look.
For a party, batch vodka and juices in a jug, keep it cold and pour over fresh ice.