Bay Breeze

The Bay Breeze, also known as a Hawaiian Sea Breeze or Downeaster, is a vodka cocktail and a variation of a Cape Codder cocktail.

The Bay Breeze belongs to the “Cape Cod” family of drinks, which also includes the Sea Breeze, and the Madras. These cocktails all feature vodka and cranberry juice, as the base, with a third ingredient added to create a new variation. In the case of the Bay Breeze, that third ingredient is pineapple juice.

The Bay Breeze is an easy-to-make, built drink, meaning it’s prepared directly in the glass without the need for shaking or any fancy bartending tools.

Sweet and fruity. There’s the tanginess from the cranberry juice and the tropical sweetness of pineapple juice, both balanced by the smoothness of vodka.

Since the Bay Breeze is a tropical twist on the Cape Codder, understanding its history starts with the Cape Codder itself.

The Cape Codder, originally known as the Red Devil, was invented in 1945 in the United States and underwent a name change in the 1960s.

The Bay Breeze is thought to have emerged in the 1950s as a tropical variation with the addition of pineapple juice.

Its popularity peaked in the 1980s, yet it continues to be a popular no-fuss, tropical drink today.

• Layer your drink
  Accentuate the ingredients by layering your drink to create something that’s as stunning as it is delicious. To do this, layer your drink in the right order: begin with vodka, add pineapple juice, and then gently pour in cranberry juice for a striking layered effect.

• Make your own pineapple juice
  With a drink as straightforward as the Bay Breeze, the secret to success lies in the quality of your ingredients. That’s why we suggest making your own pineapple juice instead of opting for the store-bought stuff, which often comes loaded with sugar and additives.

  A truly delicious Bay Breeze should capture both the sweetness and tanginess of a fresh pineapple. In our recipe instructions, we walk you through how to juice your pineapple using a blender. But if you have a centrifugal juicer, you’ll get next-level pineapple juice with a delightful “fluffy” texture. Check out our article on how to juice fruits for cocktails.

• Use sweetened cranberry juice mix
  Notwithstanding what we said above, and despite our usual preference for homemade juices, we highly recommend using store-bought cranberry juice for your Bay Breeze. While we usually encourage you to your own juice for cocktails, cranberry juice is the exception to the rule.

  The stuff you buy at stores is known as Cranberry Juice Mix and it typically combines cranberry juice with added sugars and other fruit juices, resulting in a less tart and more palatable flavor.

  Achieving the perfect sweetened cranberry juice for cocktails can be quite challenging, so this is one of the rare occasions where we suggest taking a shortcut.

  
  
  

With the Cape Codder as the original cocktail that gave rise to the “Cape Cod” family of drinks, including the Bay Breeze, there are countless variations. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Cape Codder (aka Cape Cod)
  Let’s start with the original. A classic Cape Coder mixes vodka, cranberry juice and fresh lime juice to create a citrus explosion that’s surprisingly complex with multiple layers of tanginess going on. Check out our recipe for a Cape Codder.
• Vintage Cape Codder
  This variation simplifies the mix by omitting lime juice and combining only vodka and cranberry juice, while still using a lime wheel as a nod to the original. Essentially, it’s a classic Vodka Cranberry.  Discover our Vintage Cape Codder recipe.
• Bay Breeze Mocktail
  Mix 2 parts pineapple juice, 2 parts cranberry juice and 1 part lime juice in a highball glass filled with ice cubes and you’ve got yourself one deliciously fresh and fruity non-alcoholic Bay Breeze. Homemade pineapple juice and freshly squeezed lime juice are key!
• Easy Breeze
  An Easy Breeze substitutes unflavored vodka for grapefruit-flavored vodka. This simple variation combines equal parts grapefruit-flavored vodka and cranberry juice, topped off with an orange wedge for garnish. That’s three-levels of citrus fruits right there! See how to make an Easy Breeze.
  
• Sea Breeze
  A classic Sea Breeze mixes vodka, cranberry juice and grapefruit juice, resulting in one of the most popular and beloved no-fuss cocktails around. Take a look at our Sea Breeze drink recipe.
• Gentle Sea Breeze
  The Gentle Sea Breeze is a non-alcoholic Sea Breeze (aka Sea Breeze mocktail) which mixes equal parts of cranberry juice and grapefruit juice over ice. It’s simple and perfect…just be sure to juice real grapefruit! Here’s how to make a Gentle Sea Breeze.

• We recommend using a highball glass or a Collins glass to serve a Bay Breeze as both are tall enough to accommodate all the liquid and ice cubes. They’re also the perfect glasses to show-off all those vibrant colors too.
•  You could say layering your drink is a garnish all on its own. As we mentioned in the tips above, to create a visually stunning Bay Breeze, start with vodka, add pineapple juice, and then gently pour in cranberry juice to achieve that beautiful layered effect.

• For garnishing, we recommend a pineapple wedge and a lime wedge, which is tradition. Adding a lime wheel perched on the side of your glass is also a nice touch.

• If you want something a bit different for your Bay Breeze, a maraschino cherry is always a great choice and a popular cocktail garnish.

• To keep it 80s, add a cocktail umbrella to catch the eye of every onlooker.