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Sex on the Beach
October 5, 2007 9:08 PM
When a girl doesn't know what to order at a bar she will generally default to a handful of drink choices, one of them being the Sex on the Beach. Lately I've been feeling the same way about writing, so I'm defaulting to a default cocktail. This is a simple, but effective, cocktail that seems to please the sugar junky masses. This drink has many variations, but for the most part the variations are related. When properly made, the Sex on the Beach is a descent drink (i.e. better than a Screwdriver), and few bartenders actually screw it up, so it is consistent at least. Also, when the stagette party walks up to the bar, whipping up a dozen Sex on the Beaches is an easy task.
The Sex on the Beach cocktail isn't a classic drink, nor is it a particularity great drink, but it has good marketing. Sex sells, and even though almost every new cocktail, created by some inept bartender, is labeled with sexual innuendo, the name Sex on the Beach is subtle but obvious. Even church going old ladies are not offended by the name. It's whimsical.
Behind the bar this is one drink that never ever bothered me to make, even a dozen at a time. It is very simple to make and the customers always seemed happy with their choice. The main amusement for me came when girls order a Sex on the Beach for the first time. For some reason people think the word "sex" is forbidden, or something, and they say it quietly under their breath. Then they turn bright read when I repeat their order back to them really loudly. The non-amusing part is when a 50 year old cougar orders a Sex on the Breach, and stares at you while licking its lips. As a bartender you take the good with the bad.
How to make a Sex on the Beach
1.5 oz Vodka
0.5 oz Peach Schnapps
0.25 oz Chambord
2 oz Cranberry Juice
2 oz Pineapple Juice
Shake all the ingredients and strain into an iced highball glass.
That is the classic Sex on the Beach recipe, but in many bars around the world you will find a few substitutions and some recipe trimming. First, most bars skip the Chambord because it is relatively expensive. Secondly, you will find that orange juice is often substituted for the pineapple juice. Why? Because most high volume bars have OJ on the gun but not pineapple juice, so for the sake of speed they sub in the OJ. Other than that, you will possibly find other additions like Midori, or possibly Malibu coconut rum.
My general advice is to stick with the original. If using Chambord makes your manager turn red and scream, try using something like Bols Raspberry liqueur. In this drink it is close enough and it will give your Sex on the Beach a little more flavour.
6 Comments on Sex on the Beach
Leave a comment on Sex on the Beach
Formerly I'd started a discussion about using Midori (also expensive) instead of peach liqueur!
However these days are gone (I am using though Midori and 2 cl lemon juice - just to mention), as I see this drink a little more on the lighter side of mixology...
I wouldn't say that it is better than a good made screwdriver (flavored vodka may be, or more traditional vodka, less but fresh orange juice) - the more ingredients the more suspicious is it to me and the SOTB has quite a lot... two fruit liqueurs are not really beneficially for the sobriety neither!
And if in a screwdriver it is difficult to detect the vodka it is in the SOTB just impossible...
Long story short - in my world (opinionated-alchemist.com) is nor more space for drinks like that! However it could be hard to refuse the wish of a beautiful lady?!
Darcy,
I love your blog I really do,I check it on a daily basis.
But a post on the Sex On The Beach....fella, please!!!
Ya, I know the Sex on the Beach isn't one of those truly interesting drinks, but I have ulterior motives for posting things. If the cocktail world is to grow and flourish, we need to attract the SotB drinkers and provide them with new ideas. One way to do this is to get people to view sites like mine (and many other well written cocktail blogs). They usually find my site by Googling for common drinks, like the Sex on the Beach. So, once they are here, they learn that the world of the cocktail is more than juice and vodka. Not great content for the experienced cocktailian, but good intro stuff for newbies.
I don't get why people tend to snob cocktails like Sex on the Beach... even if its not a "classic" cocktail, has said above, one of the most ordered drink in the know world... Don't you think it deserve a little attention?
Many bartender/bar use the name appealing cocktail to SELL more, thats not a secret, so I find it nice that people like Darcy take a few min to talk about it, even if its not in depth.
For the Midori vs snapps part :
There's a big difference between peach and melon!
So when you pour Midori in your SOTB, its not a SOTB anymore... its a variation of that drink.
You can prefer the one with Midori, just don't make the mistake to call it a SOTB :P
I personally prefer Midori, but the new bottle only cause it have 25% less sugar than the original recipe. Snapps is also very sweet with a candy-like peach taste. Peach-Pinapple-Cranberry are simmilar flavour so when you replace snapps with Midori you have something more complex and more flavorfull IMHO.
Made one the other night for a customer,by request,who wanted Malibu Coconut rum instead of vodka.I tasted and found it to be refreshing,though a bit sweet.This opens the door for the other Malibu rums:mango,pineapple, etc.
My bar faces the Atlantic Ocean so when a girl orders Sex On The Beach I get the pleasure of looking at the beach 121 steps away, looking her dead in the eye, and replying "My shift ends at about 11". I love it!
I also love asking them "How about Oral Sex On The Beach?" Which is the "classic" recipe with blue curacao instead of Chambord and no cranberry.
Or I look around at the bar and say "I'm pretty busy how about a quickie on the beach?" which is just chilled vodka and peach schnapps.
I can see how having this drink ordered in an Indiana bar or something would be tedious. Actually working on the beach, it allows for some stress relieving mischief!
Love your posts by the way I just discovered your site.
Mark "TikiTender" Woods