This Sex On The Beach cocktail just oozes fruity summer refreshment. Colored like a beautiful sunset, this is the perfect fruity mixed drink for a late-summer party. Cheers everyone!

My Japanese mother lived in Canada for 25 years. So it stands to reason that she picked up more than a few North American cultural references along the way. After her return to Japan, sometimes we’d head to an American themed bar in Tokyo for a cocktail and a peek through the jukebox.

It was one of these times, after dropping a couple coins in the jukebox for an uninterrupted playlist of Bon Jovi’s Greatest Hits that she returned to the bar and promptly ordered a “beach on the sex.”

I almost fell off my barstool laughing. But the bartender didn’t miss a beat, I guess fruity mixed drinks were his thing!

How to Make Sex on the Beach

You will need a shaker and some ice cubes to make this fruity alcoholic drink, well my version of it at least.

Technically you don’t need a shaker to make this cocktail, you just pour the ingredients one by one, in a highball glass filled with ice. That’s how you get the nice gradient color.

I personally prefer using a shaker because the temperature of the drink is a lot more chilled. Plus, I love the vibrant blood orange color that comes from shaking the ingredients.

Sex on the Beach Ingredients

• Vodka
• Peach schnapps
• Cranberry juice
• Orange juice

Put all the ingredients in a shaker along with a few ice cubes and shake until the metal gets frosty on the outside. Pour the drink in a glass and serve with a few garnishes.

Serve it in a pretty glass too – a highball glass is the classic choice but I prefer a white wine glass because it’s girlier.

Remember that we not only taste with our mouth, our nose and eyes also play a big part in how we decide if something is good or not.

Dressing up a cocktail ensures that you will receive lots of compliments. It won’t just be seen as a vodka and orange juice drink, your guests will feel like they are watching a beautiful sunset dance in their cocktail or wine glass.

Popular Mixed Drink

Everyone has heard of sex on the beach. It’s a well known drink recognized by the IBA (International Bartenders Association) which means that all bartenders must know how to make it. I spent part of my early 20s bartending in Tokyo and I had to learn it as well. Fruity cocktails were and are still all the rage in Japan!

The origin of the drink is unclear but some people say it was invented in the spring of 1987 at Confetti’s Bar in Florida, as a nod to all the tourists on the beach. To all the tourists doing it on the beach? I guess we’ll never know!

Variations

There are quite a few variations of sex on the beach though the only IBA approved one is the one with vodka, peach schnapps, cranberry juice and orange juice.

It’s not uncommon to replace the cranberry juice with grenadine – and some bartenders will swap peach schnapps for Chambord, Midori Melon Liqueur, or pineapple juice.

Now I’m not quite a purist when it comes to my spring-break inspired drinks, but I do prefer the original. It’s a fresh, fruity homage to classic sweet alcoholic cocktails like the piña colada, daiquiri, or blue Hawaii.

Frozen Sex On The Beach

This is another fun variation of the classic drink. It’s perfect on really hot summer days when all you want is something sweet and ice cold to cool you down. You will need a blender to make this recipe.

• 2 ounces vodka
• 1 1/2 ounce peach schnapps
• 3 ounces cranberry juice
• 4 ounces orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut cream
• 1 cup ice cubes

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until the texture is slush-like. This hits the spot every time I dream of beaches and sunny vacations.

Summer Cocktail

As the summer draws to a close, we’ve had a number of relaxing get togethers on the roof of our brownstone.

And this sex on the beach recipe has made numerous appearances. Our friends love the sweet, fruity taste and It’s a fun tongue-in-cheek cocktail to shake up – with admittedly more history anchored in South Padre Island than Brooklyn.

Other simple, delicious popular alcoholic drink recipes:

• Fresh Ginger Moscow Mule
• Gazpacho Bloody Mary
• Rosemary Ginger Whiskey Sour
• Sour Appletini
• Green Tea Shot

Did you like this Sex on the Beach Recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!

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