Sex on the Beach
Build ∙ 2 min ∙ 11.6% ABV ∙
Sex on the Beach is a built vodka highball mixing peach schnapps with orange and cranberry juice over ice.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Build all ingredients in an ice-filled highball glass: Vodka 40 mlPeach schnapps 20 mlOrange juice 40 mlCranberry juice 40 ml
- Stir gently
- Garnish with an orange slice
Tips
- Reach for plain cranberry juice, not a sweetened cranberry cocktail; the schnapps and orange juice already bring the sugar.
- Squeeze the orange juice fresh; bottled juice has lost its aroma and tastes dull next to the cranberry.
History
The Sex on the Beach is widely credited to Ted Pizio, a bartender at Confetti's bar in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who is said to have created it in 1987. He was competing in a contest a spirits distributor ran to promote its new peach schnapps, with prize money for the bartender who sold the most of it. Pizio combined vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice, and grenadine, and named the result after what he believed drew spring-break crowds to Florida: sex and the beach. The drink spread quickly through Florida bars in the late 1980s. Over time, bars increasingly swapped Pizio's grenadine for cranberry juice.
That founding story is disputed: several accounts note that a recipe for a drink called Sex on the Beach appeared in the American Bartenders School Guide to Drinks in 1982, five years before Pizio's contest, undercutting the tale as its origin. Some historians instead theorize the cocktail was simply assembled by combining two existing drinks, the Fuzzy Navel (peach schnapps and orange juice) and the Cape Codder (vodka and cranberry juice).
FAQ
What is in a Sex on the Beach?
40 ml vodka, 20 ml peach schnapps, 40 ml orange juice and 40 ml cranberry juice, poured over ice. The two juices give it the pink-orange color and the sweet-tart taste.
Is Sex on the Beach a strong drink?
It is moderate, at about 11.6% ABV. The two juices make up more than half the glass, so it drinks easily even with both vodka and peach schnapps in it.
What is the difference between a Sex on the Beach and a Bahama Mama?
The base and the fruit. A Sex on the Beach is vodka and peach schnapps with orange and cranberry juice, so it is lighter and tangier. A Bahama Mama is typically rum-based with coconut and pineapple, which makes it richer and more tropical.
What is the difference between a Woo Woo and a Sex on the Beach?
A Woo Woo is essentially a simpler version made with vodka, peach schnapps, and cranberry juice, leaving out the orange juice. Sex on the Beach adds orange juice to that base, giving it a fuller, citrus-forward sweetness.
What are variations of the Sex on the Beach?
Common variations swap or add fruit liqueurs and juices, such as using pineapple juice instead of orange, adding a splash of Malibu for extra coconut sweetness, or dropping the orange juice entirely to make a Woo Woo. The vodka and peach schnapps base generally stays constant across these versions.
What is the best liquor to use in a Sex on the Beach?
A clean, neutral vodka works best, since the drink's flavor comes mainly from the peach schnapps and juices rather than the spirit itself. A mid-range vodka without strong botanical notes keeps the fruit flavors front and center.
