Sex on the beach

The sex on the beach is a cocktail from the 1980s. That is how the trade guide Difford's Guide describes it, adding that many different recipes of it are in circulation. Who exactly invented the drink and where that happened is not established in the sources we consulted.

What is certain is that the International Bartenders Association (IBA) includes it as an official cocktail, in the category Contemporary Classics. The IBA recipe is therefore the benchmark: vodka, peach liqueur, orange juice and cranberry juice. Other guides sometimes use a different composition, for example with pineapple juice or raspberry liqueur. If you order it somewhere else, it may therefore look slightly different.

A mocktail sex on the beach is made with the same juices as the original, but without vodka and peach liqueur. The build in the glass stays exactly the same. The peach part then comes from peach nectar or peach syrup instead of liqueur.

Take 60 ml orange juice, 60 ml cranberry juice and 30 ml peach nectar. If you have no nectar, use 10 ml peach syrup and top up with a little extra orange juice. Fill a highball glass with ice, pour in the orange juice and the peach first, and then the cranberry juice. Stir briefly and garnish with half a slice of orange.

The ratio is deliberately a little more generous than in the original, because the 60 ml of vodka and liqueur is left out. That way the glass holds the same amount. A splash of sparkling water on top makes it lighter, but is not a fixed part of the drink.

There are many variations of the sex on the beach; Difford's Guide itself calls the cocktail known for them. Most play with the juices: pineapple juice added, or another red juice instead of cranberry. The vodka and the peach liqueur usually stay the same.

Difford's Guide also gives a layered version. In it, peach liqueur, orange juice and pineapple juice go into the glass as the base, and vodka, cranberry juice and black raspberry liqueur come on top as a second layer. The drinker stirs the layers together themselves. There is also a small shot version with the same four ingredients as the IBA recipe, in much smaller quantities.

The IBA prescribes a highball glass, filled with ice. Difford's Guide uses a pre-chilled collins glass, which is slightly taller and narrower. Both glasses are suitable, as long as there is enough room for ice and 140 ml of drink.

The IBA method is building: you pour the ingredients directly into the glass and so do not need to use a shaker. Pour the cranberry juice in last, so a red layer forms above the orange. Stir only just before serving. The garnish is half a slice of orange on the rim or in the glass. A stirrer alongside is handy.

For the base there are 50 vodkas in the shop. The IBA recipe calls for a neutral vodka, such as Absolut Vodka, Ketel One Vodka, Smirnoff or Finlandia Vodka. Ketel One is also the vodka that Difford's Guide names in its recipe.

For the peach part there is peach liqueur such as Peachtree, the liqueur Difford's Guide refers to, and also Archers Peach Schnapps and Bols Peach. Not sure which combination suits your occasion, or want a larger quantity for a party? Feel free to call or drop by ’t Bockje at Brink 2 in Bathmen.

The shop is at Brink 2 in Bathmen. Open Tuesday to Friday from 09.00 to 18.00 and Saturday from 09.00 to 17.00. For advice, call 0570 541 278 or email info@bockje.nl.