The recipe
for your table
Fill a tall glass with ice cubes.
Pour the vodka, peach liqueur, and orange juice into the glass and stir.
Carefully pour the cranberry juice down the side, so it slowly sinks for a sunset effect.
Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.
The story
The most colorful origin story comes from Florida, 1987: bartender Ted Pizio is said to have wanted to win a competition held by peach liqueur brand De Kuyper during spring break, and named his creation after the two things students came to Fort Lauderdale for - the beach and each other. The name was marketing gold: everyone wanted to order it, if only to say it out loud. In the 1990s, the cocktail conquered Europe, and despite all the changing trends since then, it remains one of the most-ordered drinks at festivals and on terraces.
The right glass
That famous orange-to-red color gradient deserves a stage: a tall, clear highball glass holding 44 to 47 cl. The sleeker and clearer the glass, the more beautiful the sunset. In our Sex on the Beach category, you’ll find glasses specially selected for it - also fun as a gift set for cocktail lovers. Would you prefer a more neutral model that works with any highball? Then take a look at our highball glasses.
Onis Icon Highball Glass 47 cl (6 pieces)
Bormioli Rocco Diamond Highball Glass 47 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets — together € 57,90.
The right tools
For a Sex on the Beach, besides the glass, you use a bar spoon for stirring, a jigger for precise measuring, a citrus squeezer, and glass straws. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 4 bar tools — together € 89,75.
Variations & twists
Using peach purée instead of liqueur makes it fresher and less sweet. The 'Fuzzy Navel' (peach and orange only) is its innocent predecessor. Serve it as a blender slush in summer - that version is the biggest hit at festivals and summer parties. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Servingtip
Pour in the cranberry juice last and do not stir: the color gradient is half the fun. Fresh orange juice makes it noticeably fresher than juice from a carton.
The ratio and how strong it is
The proportions are 4 cl vodka, 2 cl peach liqueur, 4 cl orange juice, and 4 cl cranberry juice: two parts liquor to four parts juice. With ice, expect around 14 cl in the glass, containing just under 2 cl of pure alcohol. That works out to about 12 percent, comparable to a strong glass of wine, while all that fruit makes it drink much more innocently. Want it lighter? Keep the vodka at 3 cl and top up with an extra centiliter of orange juice; the color gradient will still work perfectly.
The mocktail: alcohol-free and just as red
Without vodka and peach liqueur, there is surprisingly much left, because the character mainly comes from the fruit. Replace the 4 cl vodka and 2 cl peach liqueur with 6 cl peach nectar or 5 cl peach syrup plus a splash of water, and keep the 4 cl orange juice and 4 cl cranberry juice exactly as they are. The preparation does not change: ice first, then the peach and orange, and the cranberry juice last, poured along the side. Serve it in the same tall glass, because serving a mocktail in a child's cup is only half the job.
Which peach liqueur and which vodka should you choose?
Peach liqueur varies greatly in sweetness. Well-known bottles such as Peachtree and Archers contain around 15 to 20 percent alcohol and are both distinctly sweet; a peach brandy or a liqueur made with real peach purée produces a fuller, less candy-like result. The vodka does not need to be expensive: in a cocktail with two types of juice, you can barely taste the difference between a mid-range bottle and a top-shelf one. Do avoid flavored vodka, though, as it competes with the peach instead of supporting it.
For a group: in a pitcher
At a party, making each glass individually is a waste of time. Allow 4 cl of vodka, 2 cl of peach liqueur and 4 cl of orange juice per person; for eight guests, that means 32 cl of vodka, 16 cl of peach liqueur and 32 cl of orange juice in a one-and-a-half-liter pitcher. Chill the mixture for at least two hours and leave out the cranberry juice. Only pour over ice when serving, then pour 4 cl of cranberry juice down the side of each glass; otherwise, after ten minutes the color gradient will become a flat pink mass.
Frequently asked questions
What type of alcohol is in Sex on the Beach?
Sex on the Beach contains 4 cl of vodka and 2 cl of peach liqueur, topped up with 4 cl of orange juice and 4 cl of cranberry juice. The vodka forms the base, the peach liqueur adds the sweet fruit flavor; pour the cranberry juice down the side last to create the red-orange color gradient.
How do you make Sex on the Beach?
Fill a tall glass with ice, pour in the vodka, peach liqueur and orange juice, and stir. Then carefully pour the cranberry juice down the side so it slowly sinks, and garnish with an orange slice and a cocktail cherry. Do not stir again afterward.
What is in a Sex on the Beach mocktail?
In the mocktail, replace the vodka and peach liqueur with peach nectar or peach syrup, and keep the orange and cranberry juices. The same proportions, the same layering and the same garnish: in color and flavor, it remains surprisingly close to the original. Serve it in the same tall glass.
What can you mix with Sex on the Beach?
Orange juice and cranberry juice are the classic mixers; pineapple juice makes it more tropical, while sparkling lemonade makes it lighter. More important than the mixer is the glass: a tall, clear long-drink glass of 44 to 47 cl shows the color gradient best; see our Sex on the Beach glasses.
Also delicious
Everything for your bar,
at one address
Catering-quality glasses, supplied as a set. Order today, delivered quickly.
Shop the glasses →