Classic cocktail · Guided recipe

Sex on the Beach

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Vodka and peach schnapps with orange and cranberry — fruity, sunset-colored and unapologetically easy-going.

Preparation~2 minSuper easyStrengthMediumabout 12% ABVMethodStirred7 guided stepsIngredients4Tall (highball) glass

Highball

In the glassVodka · Peach schnapps · Orange juice · Cranberry juice

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What goes in

Ingredients

An empty clear highball glass with tall straight sides and a substantial base. — Serving glassHighball glass

Set up before you pour

Use a highball glass.

The tall, straight shape leaves room for plenty of ice and mixer while keeping a long drink lively.

Standard size: 350 ml11¾ oz
Ice & serve: Fill it with fresh ice cubes.
If you don’t own one: Use a Collins glass or any tall, straight-sided tumbler.

Tools to set out

jigger or measuring spoon

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Scale to your tall (highball) glassWe’ll remember this glass size.

Vodka45 ml
Peach schnapps15 ml
Orange juice60 ml
Cranberry juice60 ml

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From bottle to glass

Method

01
Ice the glass
Fill the glass with ice
02
Measure and pour
Pour 45 ml vodka
- Vodka
03
Measure and pour
Add 15 ml peach schnapps
- Peach schnapps
04
Measure and pour
Add 60 ml orange juice
- Orange juice
05
Measure and pour
Add 60 ml cranberry juice
- Cranberry juice
06
Stir around the ice
Stir gently to combine
07
Finish the drink
Finish it — add an orange slice

Know your drink

About the Sex on the Beach

A copper mug, Espresso Martini and clear vodka highball against evening city lights.

Peach schnapps, 1980s Florida

Spring break in Fort Lauderdale is where this comes from, some time in the mid-to-late 1980s, when peach schnapps was new to the American market and distributors were paying bars to move it. The story usually told names a bartender at a club called Confetti’s who put together something pink and sweet to win a sales contest. Details vary by teller. That schnapps push is the part nobody disputes.

Layering is what separates a good one from something the color of a swamp. Build the vodka, schnapps and orange juice over plenty of ice, then pour the cranberry down the inside of the glass last so it drifts through the orange rather than mixing straight in. It blurs together within a minute anyway. Peach schnapps sits around 15 to 20 percent alcohol and is mostly sugar, so a squeeze of lime keeps the whole thing from going flabby.

Common questions

Sex on the Beach FAQ

What can I swap in a sex on the beach?

It’s a forgiving template: drop the orange juice for a Woo Woo, drop the vodka for a Fuzzy Navel, or split the cranberry with pineapple for the Florida version. Keep the vodka-to-schnapps ratio and it stays balanced.

What ingredients are in a Sex on the Beach?

A classic Sex on the Beach calls for 45 ml (1.5 oz) Vodka, 15 ml (0.5 oz) Peach schnapps, 60 ml (2 oz) Orange juice, 60 ml (2 oz) Cranberry juice. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

How strong is a Sex on the Beach?

A standard Sex on the Beach is roughly 12% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it about as strong as a glass of wine.

Is a Sex on the Beach shaken or stirred?

A Sex on the Beach is stirred, not shaken. It contains no citrus juice, so stirring keeps it crystal clear and silky instead of cloudy and aerated.

What glass do you serve a Sex on the Beach in?

Serve a Sex on the Beach in a highball (tall) glass, over fresh ice cubes.

How many calories are in a Sex on the Beach?

One Sex on the Beach has approximately 190 calories, estimated from the standard spec above. Bigger pours, extra syrup or sweetened mixers raise that number quickly.

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