Sex on the Beach Cocktail Recipe

Recipe card image for a Sex on the Beach drink with layered orange and cranberry colors, orange slices, cherries, vodka, juice, and cocktail garnishes.

This recipe uses both grenadine and cranberry juice cocktail together, which gives you that deep, dramatic sunset gradient. Sweet, fruity, and ready in just two minutes.

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Table of Contents

Before You Begin
Ingredients To Make A Sex On The Beach Cocktail
Tips For Making A Sex On The Beach Cocktail
Variations
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FAQ

In This Post

If you have ever ordered a Sex on the Beach cocktail at a bar and wondered why yours never looks quite as stunning at home, the answer is almost always in the layering.

I discovered that using both grenadine and cranberry juice cocktail together is what creates that deep, dramatic sunset gradient. Bright red at the bottom, warm peach in the middle, and soft orange at the top. Plus, it tastes like it came straight from a fancy bar.

Two Sex on the Beach drinks in tall glasses with striped straws, orange slices, maraschino cherries, cranberry layers, and orange juice.

Before You Begin

The layering in this cocktail is not magic. It's science, and once you understand it, you will nail it every time.

Use cranberry juice cocktail, not 100% cranberry juice. The higher sugar content makes it denser, which keeps it sitting at the bottom of the glass where it belongs.

Grenadine sinks naturally. It is a sweet syrup, so it settles underneath everything else without any effort on your part.

Pour the orange juice last and pour it slowly. I like to pour it down the side of the glass or over the back of a spoon. This keeps the layers intact instead of mixing everything together on contact.

Follow that order, and the sunset gradient will take care of itself, effortlessly.

Ingredients To Make A Sex On The Beach Cocktail

Ingredients for Sex on the Beach labeled with text: ½ oz grenadine, ½ oz peach schnapps, oranges, maraschino cherry, 1 ½ oz orange juice, 1 ½ oz cranberry juice cocktail, 1 ½ oz vodka, and 1 cup ice.

Here's what you need:

Ice. Fill your 10-ounce highball glass all the way to the top. A full glass of ice keeps the layers from collapsing as you pour.

Cranberry juice cocktail. This isn't the same as 100% cranberry juice. You want the sweetened cocktail blend. I prefer the Ocean Spray version.

Grenadine. This is what gives the bottom layer that deep red color. Don't skip it. It's the reason this version looks better than most.

Vodka. You can use a mid-grade vodka here. You don't need top shelf because the fruit flavors do most of the heavy lifting.

Peach schnapps. Make sure you're buying schnapps and not peach liqueur. They aren't interchangeable. DeKuyper is an easy one to find at most liquor stores.

Orange juice. Use 100% pulp-free orange juice for the cleanest flavor and the clearest top layer.

Tips For Making A Sex On The Beach Cocktail

Pour Slowly. The most important thing to remember when you make a Sex On The Beach drink is to pour the orange juice slowly.

Orange juice being poured into a Sex on the Beach cocktail showing red layered base in a highball glass

Stir before you sip. The layers look beautiful, but I always give mine a gentle stir with the straw before drinking, so every sip has the full flavor of the cocktail.

Variations

Frozen Sex on the Beach. Add all of the ingredients to a blender with ice and blend until slushy. It's the perfect version for a really hot day.

Virgin Sex on the Beach. To turn this into a mocktail, skip the vodka and replace the peach schnapps with peach nectar. It tastes surprisingly close to the original.

Party Pitcher. Multiply the ingredients by however many servings you need and combine everything in a pitcher without ice. Refrigerate until you're ready to serve, then pour over ice-filled glasses. I'd recommend stirring the pitcher version since the layered effect is harder to achieve at scale.

How To Serve A Sex On The Beach

This cocktail is made for warm-weather entertaining. I love serving it alongside light appetizers that don't compete with the fruity flavors of the drink. A fresh fruit salsa with cinnamon chips, a simple Tex-Mex dip, or a classic BLT dip all pair really well.

If you're hosting a crowd, set out a pitcher of the pre-mixed base and let guests pour their own over ice. It's an easy way to keep everyone's glass full without playing bartender all night.

Close-up of a Sex on the Beach cocktail with ice, orange slice, maraschino cherry, striped straws, and red grenadine layer at the bottom.

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Sex On The Beach Cocktail

This recipe uses both grenadine and cranberry juice cocktail together, which gives you that deep, dramatic sunset gradient. Sweet, fruity, and ready in just two minutes.

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Prep Time 2

Total Time 2

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings drink

Calories 223 kcal

Ingredients

1 cup ice
1½ ounces cranberry juice cocktail
½ ounce grenadine
1½ ounces vodka
½ ounce peach schnapps
1½ ounces 100% pulp-free orange juice (not from concentrate)
1 navel orange slice (cut in half, for garnish)
1 maraschino cherry with stem (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS

Instructions
Fill a 10-ounce highball glass with ice, approximately 1 cup.
Add the cranberry juice cocktail, grenadine, vodka, and peach schnapps in that order.
Slowly pour the orange juice into the glass, being careful to preserve the layers as much as possible. I like to pour it down the side of the glass or over the back of a spoon.
Garnish the rim with a halved orange slice and a maraschino cherry. Use a paring knife to cut a small slit in each so they sit securely on the rim.

Notes

Use cranberry juice cocktail, not 100% cranberry juice. The sweetened blend is what keeps the red layer sitting at the bottom of the glass.
Pour the orange juice slowly down the side of the glass or over the back of a spoon to keep the layers intact.
A mid-grade vodka works perfectly here. You don't need top shelf for this one.
To make a pitcher, multiply the ingredients by the number of servings you need and combine everything without ice. Refrigerate until ready to serve, then pour over ice-filled glasses.
To make it a frozen cocktail, combine all ingredients in a blender with ice and blend until slushy.
To make it a mocktail, skip the vodka and replace the peach schnapps with peach nectar.

Nutrition

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FAQ

What's the difference between cranberry juice and cranberry juice cocktail?

Cranberry juice cocktail is a sweetened blend, while 100% cranberry juice is unsweetened and much more tart. For this recipe you want the cocktail blend. The higher sugar content is what keeps the red layer sitting at the bottom of the glass.

Can I use grenadine instead of cranberry juice?

You can, but I don't recommend choosing one over the other. This recipe uses both, and that's what makes the layering so dramatic. Grenadine alone gives you sweetness. Cranberry juice cocktail alone gives you color. Together they give you both.

What kind of glass should I use?

A 10-ounce highball glass is ideal. The tall, narrow shape is what makes the layered gradient really show up. A hurricane glass works too if that's what you have.

Can I make this ahead of time?

I don't recommend making it too far ahead because the layers will eventually blend together. If you're prepping for a party, combine everything except the orange juice in a pitcher and refrigerate. Pour over ice and add the orange juice slowly when you're ready to serve.

What does a Sex on the Beach cocktail taste like?

It's sweet, fruity, and refreshing with a peachy citrus flavor and a slight tartness from the cranberry. The vodka keeps it from being too sweet without overpowering the fruit.

Sex on the Beach Cocktail

Before You Begin