Sex on the Beach
COCKTAIL INGREDIENTS:
- 45 ml Cranberry Infused Vodka
- 15 ml Riga Black Balsam Currant
- 15 ml Peach Liqueur
- 30 ml Fresh Orange Juice
- 30 ml Pineapple juice
- 30 ml Cranberry Juice (Unsweetened)
GARNISH:
- Orange Slice
- Cherries
INSTRUCTIONS:
• Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker.
• Add ice and shake until chilled.
• Strain over fresh ice into a cocktail glass.
• Garnish with a skewered orange slice and cherries.
Cocktail author: it is not clear who originally came up with Sex on the Beach, but that did not get in the way of it becoming an official cocktail of International Bartenders Association.
Sex on the Beach is a very well-known cocktail, so much so that is became an official cocktail of International Bartenders Association. So, naturally, I could not resist meddling with its recipe.
I have found a couple slightly different recipes to try first, for comparison and inspiration (both can be found in the links below). Original recipe with combination of orange and cranberry juices seemed a little bit flat to me. Replacement of orange juice with pineapple looked promising, but tasted slightly too sweet and camouflaging rest of the ingredients. At this point an idea for a slightly altered recipe came to my mind, combining the best parts of previous two cocktails and adding my own little twist.
I split juices evenly between cranberry, pineapple and orange, 30 ml each. This way you get the sweet tropical notes of pineapple without overpowering rest of the ingredients or tasting too flat. Instead of ordinary vodka I used one infused with cranberries, since I cannot get enough of the cranberry taste. Finally, I kept the original specs for Peach Liqueur, but instead of Crème de Cassis I chose Riga Black Balsam Currant with its deep flavor and savory black currant notes. Being as strong as it is, Riga Black Balsam has enough power to stand up to the rest of the flavors and do not disappear in the mix.
All in all, with these particular specs, you are guaranteed to get even more flavor from your Sex on the Beach, which tasted great.