People can be particular about their liquor. Some people only like brown liquor, others clear liquor. You rarely get a sour drink lover (ex. whiskey sour) to enjoy a fruity drink. So around the holidays, while you’re serving Thanksgiving appetizers or Christmas dinner, knowing how to serve a variety of spirits from your home bar helps. And the Sea Breeze Cocktail is one of those popular drinks that’s been around for decades. Enjoy it for yourself, serve it to your guests or a little of both!

What Is a Sea Breeze Cocktail?

Although it is an icon of 1980s drinking, the Sea Breeze cocktail originated 50 years before that. In the 1930 book The Savoy Cocktail Book, author Henry Craddock’s original beverage, then dubbed the Sea Breeze Cooler, included dry gin and apricot brandy, plus lemon, grenadine, ice and a mint sprig for garnish. It’s believed to be the predecessor of today’s refreshing, vodka-spiked Sea Breeze cocktail.

The modern Sea Breeze, like many other cranberry-based sips of the later 20th century, was popularized in the ’60s by Ocean Spray, who published a modified version of the Sea Breeze Cooler that contained cranberry instead.

If you live somewhere where the weather’s yet to dip below 60 degrees, or if you’re chilled to the bone and want to imagine a refreshing moment of summer when you’re done shoveling snow, this Sea Breeze cocktail recipe will provide a light dose of those much needed warm-weather vibes.

Sea Breeze Cocktail Ingredients

• 1-1/2 ounces vodka
• 3 ounces cranberry juice
• 1-1/2 ounces grapefruit juice
• Lime
• Ice

Sea Breeze Cocktail Directions

1. In a highball glass (or shaker glass), pour in vodka, cranberry juice and grapefruit juice.
2. Add ice.
3. Stir or (if using a shaker glass) shake.
4. Slice a lime, and add one slice as a garnish.

If you find that the drink is a little too strong, consider 4 ounces of cranberry juice. If it’s too weak, decrease the ice. Play around with the drink to get it to be as “breezy” as you want it.

Making a Sea Breeze Mocktail

If you prefer a light, summery beverage without the added booze, making a mocktail version should be fairly simple. Replace the vodka with non-alcoholic gin or hops-infused sparkling water. If those are in short supply, try club soda or a lightly flavored sparkling water, specifically one that’s cranberry- or grapefruit-flavored. Avoid using Sprite or 7Up, as the lemon-lime flavors of those might skew the resulting drink too sweet.

Repeat the instructions above, swapping the vodka for your non-alcoholic mixer of choice, and enjoy.

Casey Pridemore contributed to this post.