037 – Sea Breeze

Sydney Covid ‘lock-down’ exploration of the ‘Sea Breeze’ cocktail, also known before the 1930’s as the ‘Sea Breeze Cooler’. I feel that this old classic needs a 2021 make-over.

Lockdown has inspired me to explore this famous cocktail, a little tired and lost to time. Let’s take a look at the classic ‘Sea Breeze Cooler’ cocktail, and explore some of the cocktail’s history, later appropriation, and its changing construction. Before we change it yet again, with a homage to both historical ‘schools’ of ‘Sea Breeze’ cocktail creation.

Make your own ‘mix-at-home’ Locktail, the Sydney Covid Lockdown remake of the ‘Sea Breeze’.

METHOD – Prepare a stemless wine glass, tumbler or double rocks glass with ice cubes or crushed ice. Add 30ml Gin (I recommend an Old Tom Style like Jensen’s or Hammer & Sons), 30ml Apricot Brandy (such as Joseph Cartron), 30ml fresh lemon juice into a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice. Shake until cold (10-15 seconds) and set-aside. Pour 60ml (approximate) of cranberry juice into the bottom of the glassware. Slowly add the strained contents of the cocktail shaker. Top the glass up with 30ml to 90ml of Fever Tree’s Mediterranean Tonic (or other light tonic or soda water if you are not a fan of tonic) to the appropriate level in the glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge and (optional to taste) a sprig of fresh mint.

HISTORICAL NOTES – Yet another cocktail gift to history from the work of Harry Craddock and his 1930 publication, ‘The Savoy Cocktail Book’. Back before 1930, it was the ‘Sea Breeze Cooler’, and called for “the juice of half a lemon, two dashes of grenadine and equal parts apricot brandy and dry gin over ice”. Built in a Highball glass, and topped up with soda water and garnished with mint.

At some point or points, between the 1950’s and the 1990’s, this fading cocktail was reprized (or appropriated) by a number of mixologists and ingredient ‘interests’. The most successful being Absolut Vodka (supplanting the Gin and other Vodka alternatives) and Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice (supplanting the Grenadine and Lemon Juice), to create, especially through the 1990’s what is a significantly different drink. There are also a host of other ‘Breeze’ and similar tropical variations that play around with these core ingredients and others, the Bay Breeze, the Malibu Breeze, the Cape Codder as examples.

Cranberry juice would have been a relatively rare cocktail ingredient in the 1930’s, the Ocean Spray collective having only formed in 1930. In 1959 they had a big set-back with a poison-trace incident and the US Secretary of Health suggesting American’s avoid consuming them. As part of the ‘recovery’ Ocean Spray began actively promoting recipes, including a Vodka and Cranberry-based one. At the time there were many ‘Sea Breeze’ variations, but it is believed Ocean Spray were the first to add Cranberry Juice to the cocktail, at some point in the 1960’s.

THE OFFICIAL MIX – The ‘Sea Breeze’ is included in the International Bartender Association’s (IBA) ‘Contemporary Classics’ official cocktail list, here. It calls for 40ml Vodka, 120ml Cranberry Juice, and 30ml Grapefruit Juice, built in a highball glass filled with ice. Option to garnish with orange zest and a cherry.

TASTING NOTES – The IBA official version (above) is too strong with Cranberry juice and has no real depth of flavour, just a little sweet (Cranberry) and sour (Grapefruit), it is a disappointing if colourful cocktail. It also bears no resemblance (none at all) to the 1930 origins, having lost every single ingredient listed in the ‘Sea Breeze Cooler’, that was itself a quality cocktail with more flavour range than the majority of contemporary versions. Not surprisingly, other tropically inspired cocktails have taken the reins, and the ‘Sea Breeze’ is out of vogue on contemporary cocktail lists. It needs a flavour re-invention rather than a political (ingredient promoter driven) one.

LOCKTAIL CHANGES – Taking a while to work on this one, I have gone back to Harry Craddock’s 1930 recipe as a base-plate. Gin as the base-spirit rather than Vodka, and going with the sweeter ‘Old Tom’ style by choosing Jensen’s. If this isn’t available, then a London Dry will still work and some may argue would be the more authentic choice. Keeping the Apricot Brandy (really a must in my opinion) as it adds a really great flavour into the mix that is truly noticeable and original, as well as the equal part lemon juice (freshly prepared of course).

I have dropped the Grenadine, as this seemed just for colour and sweetness. In its place I have adopted the Cranberry Juice which was a legitimate improvement, probably not readily available before the 1930’s, giving both the reddish colour as well as a flavour improvement. I have also added light tonic, in the form of Fever Tree’s Mediterranean style, to connect the Gin, it adds a little bitterness and the spritz that soda water would provide. From everyone who has tasted this approach, it is a lift on the 1930’s original, and more flavour range than the simple and somewhat bland IBA official mix.

YOUR LOCKTAIL EXPERIENCE – If you’d rather taste than read, I am progressively building an ingredient list and other sourcing information on this site. I will re-use ingredients where I can (good for my budget too), so that the cost goes down overtime if you are ‘playing at home’.

Let me know what you think.

Cocktails you’d like reinvented.

Recipes you’ve tried and your ‘score’.

This is the seventh of the 1921-1930 (‘roaring twenties’) bracket of ‘Locktail’ remixes. Full list in the index.