Sex on the Beach

Sex on the Beach is one of many generic cocktails whose sole link is a reference to “doing it.” What’s in a name—indeed! Sex is often associated with cocktails, though such an observation would not surprise Freud or Kinsey, experts in the field. Sex on the Beach and its offspring are usually and appropriately called “shooters.” Sex sells, and these drinks are particularly formulated with the libido in mind. Some of the wildly inventive names are meant to titillate, while others are blatant forays into potty talk. Winston Churchill or James Bond would never sidle up to the bar and request a Bald Pussy or a Tony’s Screaming Weenie. The names of these drinks are clearly fraught with double entendre—”I’d like a Screaming Orgasm, if you please.” And as with real sex, these drinks come with their risks. The generally sweet but seriously potent concoctions go down so easily that multiple Orgasms will often lay the young toper out prone for the wrong reason. Not everyone wants Sex on the Beach. Joseph Scott and Donald Bain, in The World’s Best Bartender’s Guide, give the recipe for the variant Sleazy Sex on the Beach as follows: “Add 1 ounce of Grand Marnier, but only if you’re feeling particularly wasteful and have little respect for Grand Marnier.”
INGREDIENTS
2 ounces vodka
2 ounces peach schnapps
3 ounces fresh orange juice or grapefruit juice
2 ounces cranberry juice
INSTRUCTIONS
Stir all ingredients over ice in a highball glass.
Variations:
After Sex: Mix together 2 ounces vodka and 1 ounce crème de banane.
Orgasm: Mix together 1 ounce amaretto, 1 ounce Kahlúa, and 1 ounce Bailey’s Irish Cream. Absolut Sex: Mix together 1 ounce Absolut Kurant vodka, 1 ounce Midori melon liqueur, 1 ounce cranberry juice, and 1 ounce lemon-lime soda.
Screaming Orgasm: Mix together 1 ounce vodka, 1 ounce Kahlúa, and 1 ounce Bailey’s Irish Cream.