Sex On The Beach

This is one of the official International Bartender's Guild cocktails and it is so recent (early 90s) that I'm surprised it is listed in my copy of the New York Bartender's Guide from 1997. I've heard that it was the winning recipe in a contest by DeKuyper liquor company to sell the most peach schnapps. The story goes that it was invented by a Myrtle Beach bar serving kids on spring break. You can see the appeal.

This is one of those drinks that tastes like juice but gets the job done. It's not the first time that vodka, peach schnapps and cranberry juice have teamed up to give you this kind of drunk candy drink, but it is probably the most popular. The photo above was taken at work because someone out there still needed to get the rush. The combination of the name and its drinkability probably account for the drink's popularity. (All the cafes along the Siene in Paris advertise the cocktail on their awnings, which shows how up to date they are not.) There's something about being young and transgressive suggested by drinking a Sex On The Beach, so don't expect it to go away soon.

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1 1/2 oz. peach schnapps
• 3 oz. cranberry juice
• 3 oz. orange juice
• maraschino cherry (optional)

Build drink in a highball glass full of ice and garnish with cherry if desired.