074 – Harpoon

A 2021 re-discovery of the 1968 ‘Harpoon’ cocktail, a precursor to the Cosmopolitan.

A continuing journey through the cocktail’s of the past. This time, the ‘Harpoon’, originally launched by Ocean Spray to promote cranberry juice to adults.

Make your own ‘mix-at-home’ #Locktail the ‘Harpoon.

METHOD – The 1968 original was build in a tall glass over ice and stirred, and you can still make the Harpoon that way (change glassware in above details). It is a little more contemporary 50-years later to make it cold, very cold, and serve immediately in a Martini glass or Coupe. Add 45ml White Rum (I used Plantation 3-Star, you can use Bacardí or Vodka if you prefer), 60 ml of Cranberry Juice and 15 ml of fresh Lime Juice, as well as three-dashes of Orange Bitters (option but beneficial) into a cocktail shaker with a hand-full of ice. Shake until very cold (around 20 seconds) and strain into a chilled Martini glass or Coupe. Garnish with a fresh lime wedge.

HISTORICAL NOTES – The ‘Harpoon’ cocktail has a close connection to the ‘Cosmopolitan’, in fact add some Cointreau and it pretty much is a version of the ‘Cosmo’. When we looked at the ‘Cosmo’, back in ‘Locktail No. 45’, we took a look at the 1934 ‘Cosmopolitan Daisy’ which preceded the shift to Vodka and the influence of Ocean Spray cranberry juice.

The ‘Harpoon’ however has no confusion. Ocean Spray created the ‘Harpoon’ cocktail in 1968, to sell more cranberry juice to adults, calling for vodka, cranberry juice and a squeeze of lime. It was effectively a precursor to the cranberry-based ‘Cosmopolitan’ of the 1970’s. Also very closely related to variations on this theme, the ‘Cape Codder’, the ‘Sea Breeze’ and the ‘Bay Breeze’.

Amongst the many quite awful cocktails created in the 1960’s, the ‘Harpoon’ while light on alcohol does have the advantage of the sweetness of cranberry juice and the sourness of lime and is a quality cocktail that is the base for so many that followed – and survived.

THE OFFICIAL MIX – Not included in any International Bartender Association (IBA) lists. The closest to an official recipe would be the original 1968 Ocean Spray, one-shot of vodka (or white rum), two-shots of cranberry juice and a squeeze of lime juice. Many would have made the cocktail with rum in that era, shifting to vodka as so many cocktails did with rise of vodka as a spirit base.

TASTING NOTES – For a great three-person discussion on the ‘Harpoon’, and where it sits in taste, as well as some interesting comparison to ‘Tiki’ cocktails, take a look at the Common Man Cocktail’s video on the ‘Harpoon Cocktail’, here.

LOCKTAIL CHANGES – The harpoon if made with vodka is effectively slightly sour cranberry juice, if made with light rum, it picks up some additional flavour and starts to taste like a cocktail. Add a few drops of orange bitters and it starts to move into the ‘Cosmo’ direction. My changes were to boost the alcohol (rum) to 45ml, shake rather than build on ice, and add some Orange Bitters to create some increased flavour range.

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 fourth cocktail from the 1961-1970 bracket of ‘Locktail’ remixes. Full list in the index.