Sex on the Beach recipe
A fruit-forward 1980s beachside staple balancing vodka, peach schnapps, and tart citrus.
Method: Stir ·
Glass: Highball glass ·
Time: 3 min ·
Difficulty: Intermediate ·
Family: The Highball Family
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Vodka (Clean, unflavored)
- 0.75 oz Peach Schnapps (Aromatic peach liqueur)
- 1.5 oz Orange Juice (Freshly squeezed)
- 1.5 oz Cranberry Juice (Tart, unsweetened or cocktail style)
How to make a Sex on the Beach
- Fill a highball glass or hurricane glass with crushed ice.
- Add the vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice, and cranberry juice directly into the glass.
- Stir gently from the bottom up to integrate the layers without diluting the effervescence.
- Garnish with an orange wheel and a maraschino cherry.
Garnish
an orange wheel and a maraschino cherry
Pro tip
Measure carefully, keep the dilution controlled, and serve Sex on the Beach as soon as it is cold and balanced.
History of the Sex on the Beach
Emerging during the late 1980s, the Sex on the Beach is widely attributed to Ted Pizio, a bartender at Confetti's Bar in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who created the drink during a peach schnapps sales promotion. The cocktail quickly captured the spirit of spring break culture and spread rapidly across tropical resorts and American hotel bars worldwide.
Flavour profile
Sweet, Citrus, Boozy
Variations
- Sex in the Driveway — Substitute blue curaçao for cranberry juice and Sprite for orange juice for a neon blue color.
- Sex on the Muddy River — Substitute bourbon for vodka for a richer, amber-toned profile.
- Wooly Bully — Add a splash of melon liqueur alongside peach schnapps and pineapple juice.
Practise making the Sex on the Beach in the free Virtual Bar game.