Sea breeze (cocktail)
Encyclopedia
A Sea Breeze is a cocktail
containing vodka
with cranberry
juice and grapefruit juice
. The cocktail is usually consumed during summer months due to availability of the fruit ingredients. The drink may be shaken in order to create a foamy surface. It is considered an IBA Official Cocktail
.
The drink follows the classic cocktail principle of balancing strong (alcohol
) with weak (fruit juice) and sweet and sour.
A Bay Breeze
, or a Hawaiian Sea Breeze, is similar to a Sea Breeze except for the substitution of pineapple juice
for grapefruit juice. It is also closely related to the Cape Codder
(which lacks the grapefruit juice) and the Salty Dog
(which lacks the cranberry juice and is made with a salted rim).
and grenadine
were used in the original Sea Breeze. This was near the end of the Prohibition era
. In the 1930s, a Sea Breeze had gin, apricot brandy, grenadine, and lemon juice. Later, a Sea Breeze recipe would contain vodka, dry vermouth, Galliano, and blue Curaçao.
The cranberry grower's cooperative in the 1930s evolved into Ocean Spray
which marketed cranberry juice in the 1950s. Cranberry juice was used as a mixer with alcohol, first with gin and later with vodka. The Harpoon, later called the Cape Codder, was born, and its descendants such as the Greyhound, the Salty Dog, the Bay Breeze, and the Sea Breeze were later created. Starting in the 1960s, the breeze drinks were sporadically in the top ten most popular mixed drinks.
According to some, the Sea Breeze, along with the Cape Codder and Bay Breeze, did not become very popular until the 1970s. This was because in 1959, the U.S. Department of Health
stated that cranberry crops were tainted with toxic herbicides, collapsing the cranberry industry.
Cocktail
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients—at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol...
containing vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
with cranberry
Cranberry
Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus Oxycoccus of the genus Vaccinium. In some methods of classification, Oxycoccus is regarded as a genus in its own right...
juice and grapefruit juice
Grapefruit juice
Grapefruit juice is the fruit juice from grapefruits. It is rich in Vitamin C and ranges from sweet-tart to very sour. It is considered by some cultures to be a mystical tonic which promotes health and vigor. Certain civilizations have had holy men who live on Grapefruit juice alone...
. The cocktail is usually consumed during summer months due to availability of the fruit ingredients. The drink may be shaken in order to create a foamy surface. It is considered an IBA Official Cocktail
IBA Official Cocktail
An IBA Official Cocktail is one of many cocktails selected by the International Bartenders Association for use in the annual World Cocktail Competition in bartending...
.
The drink follows the classic cocktail principle of balancing strong (alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
) with weak (fruit juice) and sweet and sour.
A Bay Breeze
Bay Breeze
The Bay Breeze is a cocktail which has a Cape Codder as its base. This drink is also sometimes called a Downeaster or Hawaiian Sea Breeze. This cocktail is similar to the Sea Breeze, which is an IBA Official Cocktail with grapefruit juice instead of pineapple juice.-Ingredients:*1 part vodka*3...
, or a Hawaiian Sea Breeze, is similar to a Sea Breeze except for the substitution of pineapple juice
Pineapple
Pineapple is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone. The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae...
for grapefruit juice. It is also closely related to the Cape Codder
Cape Codder (cocktail)
The Cape Cod or Cape Codder is a type of cocktail made with only fruit juice and spirits. The name refers to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in the eastern United States...
(which lacks the grapefruit juice) and the Salty Dog
Salty dog (cocktail)
A Salty Dog is a cocktail of vodka and grapefruit juice, served in a glass with a salted rim. The salt is the only difference between a Salty Dog and a Greyhound...
(which lacks the cranberry juice and is made with a salted rim).
History
The cocktail was born in the late 1920s, but the recipe was different from the one used today, as ginGin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
and grenadine
Grenadine
Grenadine is traditionally a red syrup. It is used as an ingredient in cocktails, both for its flavor and to give a reddish/pink tinge to mixed drinks. "Grenadines" are also made by mixing the syrup with cold water in a glass or pitcher, sometimes with ice....
were used in the original Sea Breeze. This was near the end of the Prohibition era
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
. In the 1930s, a Sea Breeze had gin, apricot brandy, grenadine, and lemon juice. Later, a Sea Breeze recipe would contain vodka, dry vermouth, Galliano, and blue Curaçao.
The cranberry grower's cooperative in the 1930s evolved into Ocean Spray
Ocean Spray (cooperative)
Ocean Spray is an agricultural cooperative of growers of cranberries and grapefruit headquartered in Lakeville/Middleborough, Massachusetts. It currently has over 600 member growers . The cooperative employs about 2,000 people, with sales of $1.4 billion in fiscal year 2005...
which marketed cranberry juice in the 1950s. Cranberry juice was used as a mixer with alcohol, first with gin and later with vodka. The Harpoon, later called the Cape Codder, was born, and its descendants such as the Greyhound, the Salty Dog, the Bay Breeze, and the Sea Breeze were later created. Starting in the 1960s, the breeze drinks were sporadically in the top ten most popular mixed drinks.
According to some, the Sea Breeze, along with the Cape Codder and Bay Breeze, did not become very popular until the 1970s. This was because in 1959, the U.S. Department of Health
United States Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America"...
stated that cranberry crops were tainted with toxic herbicides, collapsing the cranberry industry.
In popular culture
- In the television series AngelAngel (TV series)Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
, the character LorneLorne (Buffyverse)Krevlornswath of the Deathwok Clan, more commonly called "Lorne" or "The Host", is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Angel. The character was portrayed by the late actor Andy Hallett.-Character history:...
is strongly partial to Sea Breeze cocktails. In fact, the Lorne collectible figureFigurineA figurine is a statuette that represents a human, deity or animal. Figurines may be realistic or iconic, depending on the skill and intention of the creator. The earliest were made of stone or clay...
is accessorized with a miniature glass of sea breeze.
- In Just Shoot Me!Just Shoot Me!Just Shoot Me! is an American television sitcom that aired for seven seasons on NBC from March 4, 1997 to August 16, 2003, with 148 episodes produced. The show was created by Steven Levitan, the show's executive producer.-Description:...
, Dennis Finch always ordered this drink. In one episode, "Pass the Salt," his father orders "Boilermaker, Boilermaker, Boilermaker" for his three sons, to which Finch interjects by ordering himself a "Sea Breeze".
- In the 2005 film Red EyeRed Eye (film)Red Eye is a 2005 thriller film directed by Wes Craven and starring Rachel McAdams as a hotel manager ensnared in an assassination plot by a terrorist while aboard a red-eye flight to Miami. The film score was composed and conducted by Marco Beltrami.-Plot:Lisa Reisert fears flying...
, Jackson Rippner is choking Lisa Reisert against a wall and yells, "I think you're not such an honest person. Because I've been following you for eight weeks now, and I never once saw you order anything but a fucking Sea Breeze!", referring to earlier in the movie before they boarded the plane, where both were sitting together at a terminal restaurant and Jackson was trying to "guess" which drink Lisa would order. He guessed the "Grapefruit Sea Breeze", which Lisa then replied to Rippner by ordering a Bay Breeze from the bartender.
- In the 1995 film French Kiss Meg Ryan's character Kate orders a Sea Breeze on the beach in Cannes while confronting her ex-fiancé and the new fiancée for whom he had left her.
- In the 1992 film Scent of a WomanScent of a WomanThis article is about the American film. For the Korean drama, see Scent of a Woman .Scent of a Woman is a 1992 drama film directed by Martin Brest that tells the story of a preparatory school student who takes a job as an assistant to an irascible, blind, medically retired Army officer...
Al PacinoAl PacinoAlfredo James "Al" Pacino is an American film and stage actor and director. He is famous for playing mobsters, including Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, Tony Montana in Scarface, Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy and Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way, though he has also appeared...
's character Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant colonelLieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Frank Slade corrects his nephew while he is quarreling with him by saying 'Vincent drank Sea Breezes' (instead of Bloody MaryBloody Mary (cocktail)A Bloody Mary is a popular cocktail containing vodka, tomato juice, and usually other spices or flavorings such as Worcestershire sauce, Peri-Peri Sauce, Tabasco sauce, beef consomme or bouillon, horseradish, celery, olive, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and celery salt...
s).
- In the 2007 film The WalkerThe WalkerThe Walker is a 2007 drama film that was written and directed by Paul Schrader. It is a British-American independent production and is the latest installment in Schrader's "night workers" series of films, starting with Taxi Driver in 1976, and then followed by American Gigolo in 1980 and Light...
, Woody HarrelsonWoody HarrelsonWoodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd...
's character Carter Page III drinks Sea Breeze cocktails during his weekly Wednesday afternoon CanastaCanastaCanasta is a card game of the rummy family of games believed to be a variant of 500 Rum. Although many variations exist for 2, 3, 5 or 6 players, it is most commonly played by four in two partnerships with two standard decks of cards. Players attempt to make melds of 7 cards of the same rank and...
games with four women who are deeply connected with Washington, D.C. society and politics.
- In Nick SwardsonNick SwardsonNicholas Roger "Nick" Swardson is an American actor, stand-up comedian, and writer. He is best known for his recurring role as Terry Bernardino in the Comedy Central series Reno 911!, for his work in Happy Madison films, most notably the 2011 film Just Go With It, and for his new Comedy Central...
's 2009 stand-up special Seriously, Who Farted?, Nick jokes about dying due to alcohol poisoning from excessive Sea Breezes.
- In Rules of EngagementRules of Engagement (TV series)Rules of Engagement is a sitcom that debuted on CBS on February 5, 2007, as a midseason replacement, immediately following Two and a Half Men, in the time slot that was occupied by now-cancelled The New Adventures of Old Christine...
, the episode "Jeff's New Friend", Adam drinks a Sea Breeze at a bar and later a virgin Sea Breeze at the diner.