IBA
Sea Breeze – IBA
Build ∙ 2 min ∙ 7.8% ABV ∙
The Sea Breeze is an IBA highball of vodka, cranberry juice, and grapefruit juice, built over ice in an old-fashioned glass. Tart and faintly bitter up front, the sip softens into a clean, crisp finish with a light, refreshing weight on the tongue.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Build all ingredients in an ice-filled highball glass: Vodka 40 mlCranberry juice 120 mlGrapefruit juice 30 ml
- Stir gently
- Garnish with an orange twist and a maraschino cherry
Tips
- Pre-chill the glass so the ice doesn't melt too fast in what is otherwise a low-proof, juice-heavy build.
- Stir gently rather than shaking — the drink is built and served in one glass, so a hard stir just churns the ice.
- Add the grapefruit juice last so its bitterness sits on top rather than getting buried under the cranberry.
History
The Sea Breeze traces to the United States in the 1920s or 1930s, though the earliest drinks under the name looked nothing like today's: they were built on gin, paired first with grenadine and later with apricot brandy and lemon juice rather than the cranberry-and-grapefruit combination known today.
The modern Sea Breeze — built from vodka, cranberry juice, and grapefruit juice, in effect a Cape Codder lengthened with grapefruit — did not take shape until decades later, with several accounts pointing to the 1960s as when this formula emerged, before the drink became especially popular in the 1980s. Its rise is closely tied to the wider popularity of cranberry juice as a mixer during that period. Today the Sea Breeze is recognized as an IBA Official Cocktail, and a pineapple-juice variant made with the same vodka-and-cranberry base is known as the Bay Breeze.
FAQ
How do you make a Sea Breeze cocktail?
Pre-chill an old-fashioned glass, then build vodka, cranberry juice, and grapefruit juice together over ice in the glass. Stir gently to combine, then garnish with an orange twist and a maraschino cherry. There is no shaking or straining involved — the whole drink is assembled and served in the same glass.
What is the recipe for a Sea Breeze?
It is built directly over ice in a pre-chilled old-fashioned glass, stirred gently, and finished with an orange twist and a maraschino cherry. Vodka forms the base, giving a light, low-proof highball at under 8% ABV.
What are the ingredients in a Sea Breeze?
Vodka, cranberry juice, and grapefruit juice, built over ice and finished with an orange twist and a maraschino cherry garnish.
What's the difference between a Bay Breeze and a Sea Breeze?
A Bay Breeze swaps the grapefruit juice for pineapple juice, giving a sweeter, tropical profile, while the Sea Breeze keeps the tart, bitter edge from grapefruit alongside the cranberry.
What does IBA stand for?
IBA stands for the International Bartenders Association, the organization that maintains an official list of recognized world cocktails, of which the Sea Breeze is one.
