contemporary · built
Sex on the Beach recipe
Vodka and peach schnapps with orange and cranberry.
A Sex on the Beach is 40 ml (37.6 g) Vodka, 20 ml (21.6 g) Peach Schnapps, 40 ml (41.6 g) Orange Juice and 40 ml (41.6 g) Cranberry Juice, built and served in a highball glass. It pours to about 140 ml before ice, at roughly 14.3% ABV. Weighing the ingredients instead of measuring them is what keeps the balance identical from one round to the next.
- Glasshighball glass
- Methodbuilt
- Pour volume140 ml
- Strength (est.)14.3% ABV
- Time3 min
Sex on the Beach ingredients — in millilitres and grams
Grams are what the PourPilot coaster actually targets. They are not the same as the millilitres: a spirit is lighter than water, a syrup is heavier, so 30 ml of one is never 30 g. The right-hand column is the density we use, in grams per millilitre.
| Ingredient | Volume | Weight | g/ml | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vodka | 40 ml | 37.6 g | 0.94 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Peach Schnapps | 20 ml | 21.6 g | 1.08 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Orange Juice | 40 ml | 41.6 g | 1.04 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Cranberry Juice | 40 ml | 41.6 g | 1.04 | Weighed by the coaster |
How to make a Sex on the Beach
- Set your highball glass on the scale (or on the PourPilot coaster) and zero it. Every measurement below is given in millilitres and in grams, so you can use either.
- Fill the highball glass with fresh ice.
- Build Vodka, Peach Schnapps, Orange Juice and Cranberry Juice straight into the glass, weighing each pour.
- Stir once, briefly, to combine.
Sex on the Beach: the questions people actually ask
How strong is a Sex on the Beach?
Roughly 14.3% ABV as poured, before the ice dilutes it — typically another 15–25% water by the time you finish stirring or shaking. Medium strength. About the same as a fortified wine, poured short.
What glass should a Sex on the Beach be served in?
A highball glass. Fill it with fresh ice, not the ice you mixed with.
Can I make a Sex on the Beach without a jigger?
Yes — that is what the gram column is for. Put the glass or tin on a kitchen scale, zero it, and pour to the weight. It is more accurate than a jigger because nothing is left clinging to the inside of the measure. The PourPilot coaster does the same thing without you having to watch a display: it lights up as you approach the target and tells you when to stop.
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