Sea breeze

Sea breeze is a refreshing alcoholic cocktail made with vodka, grapefruit juice, and cranberry juice. It is often served over ice and garnished with a slice of lime.

Sea breeze recipe

• 4 cl Vodka
• 12 cl Cranberry juice
• 3 cl Grapefruit juice

Build all ingredients in a highball glass filled with ice. Garnish with lime wedge.

Building a Sea Breeze over ice

1. Fill a chilled highball glass to the top with fresh ice. Plenty of ice matters here: it keeps the drink crisp and prevents the fruit juices from turning flat too quickly.
2. Pour in the vodka first so it settles evenly through the cubes. Use a clean, neutral style unless you want a citrus-forward vodka to brighten the drink.
3. Add the cranberry juice, then the grapefruit juice. Pouring the juices after the spirit helps the color develop into that signature rosy-pink shade.
4. Give the drink a brief, gentle stir—just enough to combine everything without knocking too much chill off the ice.
5. Taste, if desired. If your grapefruit is especially tart, the cranberry will balance it; if the cranberry is sweetened, the finish will be rounder and softer.
6. Garnish with a lime wedge on the rim or tucked beside the ice. A light squeeze just before drinking adds a sharper citrus lift.

What the Sea Breeze tastes like

The Sea Breeze is bright, lightly bitter, and refreshing, with cranberry bringing tart berry character and grapefruit adding a drier citrus edge. Compared with many vodka highballs, it feels fruit-forward without becoming heavy or dessert-like. It works especially well for warm weather, brunch, or any occasion where you want something easygoing but not overly sweet.

Best way to serve it well

Use plenty of solid ice and serve it immediately after stirring. Because this drink is built directly in the glass, dilution continues as it sits, so colder ingredients make a noticeable difference. If you want a sharper version, use unsweetened cranberry and freshly squeezed grapefruit. If you prefer it softer, a sweeter cranberry juice cocktail gives a smoother, more approachable result.

A little history and bar trivia

The Sea Breeze is usually grouped with the Cape Codder and Bay Breeze, a family of vodka-and-juice drinks popular in the late 20th century. Its modern form became especially associated with the rise of cranberry marketing in the United States from the 1950s onward. Exact authorship is unclear, but its most credible origin story is less about one bartender and more about the era’s growing taste for simple, refreshing mixed drinks built around vodka and fruit juice.

Easy alcohol-free version

For a zero-proof take, replace the vodka with chilled soda water or a non-alcoholic spirit alternative. Keep the cranberry and grapefruit, build over ice the same way, and finish with lime. The result is zesty, tart, and still very much in the Sea Breeze style.