Bay Breeze

By Steve Kilcullen Jump to Recipe

Deliciously tart and a little sweet, this Bay Breeze will cool you down on a hot day.

“No Cranberries for President.”

This phrase made national headlines across America during the Thanksgiving holiday in the year 1959. First Lady Mamie Eisenhower famously served applesauce with the turkey, stuffing and other seasonal trimmings. The President of the United States’ table mirrored that of the rest of the country’s that year. No cranberry sauce would be served, for the country was in the grip of its first widespread food scare.

I’ll get into some of the details in a bit, but the long and short of it was Americans were terrified that winter of cranberries. The Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, Arthur S. Flemming, had warned that the public should not buy or consume any cranberries or cranberry product unless they knew exactly what their origins were. By December, sales of fresh cranberries had dwindled sixty-three percent, while canned products dropped a staggering seventy-nine. A business that raked in more than fifty million dollars a year was on the verge of disappearing entirely.

But all was not lost. Ocean Spray, around since the 1930s and still going strong today, released a series of pamphlets and promotional booklets to the public in order to calm them down, and restore their faith and excitement in the fruit. Only crops from the bogs in the Pacific Northwest had tainted and possibly dangerous products, so the company put together a number recipes featuring the tart little berry. Among them, a number of now classic cocktails. One of them being the mouthwatering Bay Breeze, which is what we’ll be making today.

What Happened to the Cranberries in 1959?

In November of 1959 a cranberry crop in the Pacific Northwest tested positive for trace elements of a herbicide known to cause cancer in lab rats. Despite Ocean Spray testifying that the average person would need to ingest a ridiculous amount of the tainted fruit for any adverse effects to happen, the damage from Flemming’s report was done, and the public were terrified. It was only with the help of recipes like the Bay Breeze that kept the cranberry from disappearing from our daily lives. I’ll drink to that!

What is the Best Vodka to Use in a Bay Breeze?

Choosing the “best” of anything always boils down to personal preference. When making the Bay Breeze cocktail, a good top shelf vodka won’t let you down. You’ll want a smooth and crisp spirit that will meld nicely with the cranberry and pineapple juice. For me, I always go for a Polish wheat distilled vodka for light, creamy and slightly peppery notes. These flavors play well with the tart and sweet mixers, never being too much or too little.

What type of glassware and garnish is best for a Bay Breeze?

A tall and elegant highball or Collins glass will deliver the best Bay Breeze drinking experience. Garnish with a lime wedge for some tangy citrus pep.

Is this the same as a Sea Breeze?

They’re very close. The Sea Breeze uses grapefruit juice instead of pineapple juice, skewing a little closer to a Paloma-style cocktail.

What is a Malibu Bay Breeze?

This drink is more brand specific in its name, using Malibu coconut rum in place of the vodka.

Bay Breeze Variations & Similar Cocktails

There’s more than a few mixed beverages out there that are perfect for poolside sipping on a hot day, or for lazing on the beach on a balmy evening. Cocktails like the Bay Breeze are summer favorites, and Twist & Toast will keep your thirst quenched during those hot and sweaty seasons with drinks like these:

• Sea Breeze – A sibling to the Bay Breeze, with both drinks possibly first appearing in Ocean Spray’s promotional recipe booklets in the 1960s.
• Salty Dog – Vodka and grapefruit juice combine with a salted rim for that extra bite.
• Cranberry Calvados – A perfect winter holiday tipple, the Cranberry Calvados is a warm apple brandy concoction.
• Long Beach Iced Tea – I hit the West Coast for this cranberry flavored booze-bomb.