Playful and timeless, Sex on the Beach is an International Bartenders Association (IBA) official cocktail, making it one of the most popular and frequently ordered mixed drinks of all time. The Sex on the Beach cocktail was invented in the 1980s by Florida bartender Ted Pizio, who set out to create a compelling drink featuring peach schnapps to win a local challenge that involved selling the most of the fruit-forward liqueur. Little did he know, he created an iconic cocktail whose bright, fruity flavors and sunset colors would echo through time.
To make a classic Sex on the Beach cocktail, it’s best to stick to the recipe endorsed by the IBA. Use equal parts vodka, orange juice, and cranberry juice, and half as much peach schnapps. Instead of mixing it in a cocktail shaker and straining it over ice, add your ingredients directly to an ice-filled highball cocktail glass. There are no hard rules against shaking it, and it won’t change the flavor, but building the cocktail directly in the glass lets the colors settle into soft layers that give it the peachy sun-kissed color it’s known for. Before serving the drink, garnish with an orange wedge. Because it’s made with vodka, a neutral spirit, Sex on the Beach cocktails are predominantly fruity and sweet with just a bit of bite, making it an ideal libation for those who enjoy strong drinks without a harsh taste.
Variations for the Sex on the Beach cocktail
You could simply follow the IBA Sex on the Beach recipe, but the IBA isn’t the FBI, so you won’t be breaking any laws if you make it your own by substituting ingredients or adding new flavors to the cocktail. Instead of using vodka, give a Sex on the Beach cocktail a citrusy, vegetal twist by using 100% agave tequila. A tequila-infused Sex on the Beach is similar to a tequila sunset, but includes peach flavors and features cranberry juice instead of grenadine. Of course, you can always use grenadine for a syrupy sweet pomegranate-kissed finish in any variation of a Sex on the Beach cocktail.
For a different citrus flavor, opt for blood orange juice, which generally has a more fruity, tart, and floral flavor compared to navel oranges. For a bitter and tart edge, try using grapefruit juice. To amplify those stone fruit flavors imparted by peach schnapps, top the cocktail with an apricot brandy floater. Alternatively, to bolster the orange notes, consider a triple sec floater.
To transform a Sex on the Beach cocktail without adding or replacing any ingredients, blend it with ice and enjoy it frozen by the pool, or, more aptly, the beach.
