Sex on the beach

Nobody knows when Sex on the Beach (SOB) was created. Nobody knows who had the sex or on which beach. Nobody knows which enterprising bartender first mixed vodka, peach schnapps, and cranberry juice into a cocktail that’s just right—a pleasure to the senses with a killer kick up the rear.

But however mysterious the origins, the drink itself is no secret—the traditional version has vodka and peach schnapps as the base, with cranberry juice for flavour, along with another juice, usually orange. You can swap orange with apple, to tweak the flavour colour, but it’s still Sex on the Beach. Sachin, the supervisor at the excellent Rick’s Bar, made me a traditional SOB—two shots of vodka, one of peach schnapps with equal parts of cranberry and apple juice. Redolent of lazy days, breaking surf, and, yes, sex, the schnapps compliments the vodka perfectly, leaving just the faintest bitter aftertaste and a satisfied grin. You really could do a lot worse on a summer day.

I’m not sure if the cocktail is a bona fide aphrodisiac, but aren’t all cocktails at some level? As for the origins of SOB, even Sachin hasn’t a clue. All we know is that it originated sometime in that decade of greed—the 1980s. Young bankers were raking in obscene sums, trying to look like Michael Douglas in Wall Street and making merry in the Caribbean. So, my guess is some young turk in a YSL suit and gelled back hair flew the company Lear.

Jet to a beach island crawling with Kingfisher calendar models. Wearing a straw hat, our man hits the beach bar and makes an indecent proposal to some giggly beauty. A bartender overhears him. And the next morning a new legendary cocktail appears on the menu. If that sounds too simple, then you’re welcome to make up your own story, of course...

The Indian There’s something inherently decadent about the Indian pastime of chewing betel nut. And it tastes great, too. So, here’s the combo—vodka, peach schnapps and betel nut juice topped with apple foam. Needless to say, it’s an invitation to get frisky!

The Quirky The same drink with a twist in the tail—instead of cranberry juice, it uses cucumber muddled with grapefruit and a slice of kiwi. If SOB is a summer cocktail, then this is the coolest version—the bitterness of schnapps and vodka is offset by the cool cucumber.