Culture: Signature Cocktails from Around the US – The Cape Codder

I can’t think of anything more refreshing at the end of a warm day than a sitting outside and sipping a cool Cape Codder. Of course, it would be best drunk sitting on an Adirondack chair facing Cape Cod Bay or looking out on to Nantucket Sound, with a lovely beach house behind me… but if that can’t be done, then in my backyard is fine!

Below is the simple recipe for this classic cocktail along with a few alternatives to spice up your cocktail hour.

Classic Cape Codder Recipe

Fill a rocks glass with ice. Pour in 2 oz. vodka and 5 oz. cranberry juice. Add a lime wedge for garnish.

Cape Codder Cocktail Alternatives

Bay Breeze – A Bay Breeze is the same as a Cape Codder, but instead of 5 oz. of cranberry juice, add 2.5 oz. cranberry juice and 2.5 oz. pineapple juice.

Sea Breeze – A Sea Breeze adds a splash of grapefruit juice to the mix. So instead of 5 oz. of cranberry juice, add just 4 oz., and 1 oz. of grapefruit juice.

Sex on the Beach – Again this popular college drink has cranberry juice and vodka, but there are also some other fruity additions. Instead of 5 oz of cranberry juice, reduce this to 2 oz, then add 2 oz. of orange juice and 1 oz peach schnapps.

A few more cranberry/vodka drinks (with additions) are a Cosmopolitan (aka Cosmo), and a Rose Kennedy Cocktail.