A plaque remaining from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem.

Above, a 1934 plaque from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem. Discarded as trash in 2006. Now a Popeyes fast food restaurant on Google Maps.

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Entry from August 10, 2014
Sea Breeze (cocktail)

“Sea Breeze” or “Seabreeze” has been the name of many drinks. “Sea Breeze Thirst Quencher” was cited in 1915. A Sea Breeze cocktail of grenadine, brandy, gin and lemon was cited in a 1937 cocktail book. The “Seagram Seabreeze” of Seagram’s golden gin and tonic was cited in 1954.
 
“Bar-Snooping: Mix cranberry and grapefruit juices, add vodka and serve over ice cubes” was cited in print in 1965. The name “Seabreeze” was defined as vodka, grapefruit and cranberry juice by at least 1981.
 
   
Wikipedia: Sea Breeze (cocktail)
A Sea Breeze is a cocktail containing vodka with cranberry juice and grapefruit juice. The cocktail is usually consumed during summer months. The drink may be shaken in order to create a foamy surface. It is considered an IBA Official Cocktail.
(...)
History
The cocktail was born in the late 1920s, but the recipe was different from the one used today, as gin and grenadine were used in the original Sea Breeze. This was near the end of the Prohibition era. In the 1930s, a Sea Breeze had gin, apricot brandy, grenadine, and lemon juice. Later, a Sea Breeze recipe would contain vodka, dry vermouth, Galliano, and blue Curaçao.
 
The cranberry grower’s cooperative in the 1930s evolved into Ocean Spray which marketed cranberry juice in the 1950s. Cranberry juice was used as a mixer with alcohol, first with gin and later with vodka. The Harpoon, later called the Cape Codder, was born, and its descendants such as the Greyhound, the Salty Dog, the Bay Breeze, and the Sea Breeze were later created. Starting in the 1960s, the breeze drinks were sporadically in the top ten most popular mixed drinks.
 
According to some, the Sea Breeze, along with the Cape Codder and Bay Breeze, did not become very popular until the 1970s.
     
Google Books
The Dispenser’s Formulary:
Or, Soda Water Guide; a Practical Handbook for Soda Fountain Operators

By Soda Fountain
New York, NY: D. O. Haynes & Co.
1915
Pg. 68:
SEA BREEZE THIRST QUENCHER
Mint syrup…1 ounce
Orange syrup///1/2 ounce
Angostura bitters…2 dashes
Shaved ice…1/2 glass
Garnish with a thin slice of pineapple, creme de menthe cherry and a sprig of mint. Serve with straws and spoon. Charge 10 cents.
 
Google Books
Café Royal Cocktail Book
By W. J. Tarling
London: Pall Mall
1937
Pg. ?:
SEA BREEZE
The juice of 1/2 Lemon.
2 dashes Grenadine.
1/2 Apricot Brandy.
1/2 Dry Gin.
1 lump of Ice.
Use long tumbler and fill with Soda Water, 2 sprigs of fresh mint on top.
 
Google Books
1 February 1954, Life magazine, pg. 68 ad:
THE SEAGRAM SEABREEZE
As delicious in Winter as in Summer, Seagram’s highly popular golden gin and tonic is the perfect tall drink for your smart occasions.
     
You Can’t Eat Mount Rainier!
By William C. Speidel
Iillustrated by Bob Cram
Portland, OR: Binfords & Mort
1955
Pg. ?:
Finally a drink by Peter Canlis
Sea breeze—Cognac, green creme de menthe, heavy cream, white creme de cocao, handful of ice. blend rapidly in blender, serve in champagne glass.
 
7 March 1965, Boston (MA) Sunday Advertiser, Burt Bacharach column, pg. 49, col. 1:
Bar-Snooping: Mix cranberry and grapefruit juices, add vodka and serve over ice cubes.
   
Google Books
Business Week
Issues 2183-2191
1971
Pg. ?:
But 20 years ago Seagram’s “Sea- breeze”—grapefruit juice and Seagram’s Ancient Golden gin—went sour.
 
Google News Archive
1 August 1979, The Blade (Toledo, OH), “New Products Show Concern For Health,” pg. 26, col. 6:
The Sea Breeze is also known as a Salt Puppy in groups that heretofore were ordering Shirley Temples and Virgin Marys. It is to be served in the 9-ounce coupette glass, which to drinkers would be perfect for margaritas.
 
To make, moisten the rim of the glass with grapefruit juice and press it into salt to coat the rim. Fill the glass with 1/2 cup finely crushed ice and pour in 4 ounces of grapefruit juice and a splash of club soda. The garnish? A wedge of fresh grapefruit and some fresh mint.
 
26 February 1981, Trenton (NJ) Times, “Favorite Bartender” by Frank Tyger, pg. F5, col. 3:
And now it’s time for our favorite bartender’s favorite drink—Loius Pattee’s Seabreeze. Into a tall highball glass with ice, add 1 oz. vodka, 1/2 oz. gin. Fill with grapefruit juice, and add enough cranberry juice for coloring. Enjoy.
 
23 October 1981, Seattle (WA) Times, Tempo sec., pg. 7, col. 1 ad:
SEABREEZE (Vodka, Grapefruit & Cranberry Juice)...Fridays
(Mario O’Sullivan’s Irish-Italian Cafe.—ed.)
 
17 December 1981, Rockford (IL) Register Star, “Mocktails on tap for non-drinker” by Leona Carlson, pg. D1, col. 5:
Sea Breeze
(Salt Puppy)

Salt
1 scoop (about 1/2 cup) fine ice
3 to 4 ounces of fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
Splash of club soda
Garnish” Grapefruit wedge and mint
 
Moisten rim of 9-ounce coupette glass with grapefruit juice and press into salt to coat rim. Add ice, grapefruit juice and club soda. Garnish and serve.
 
Google Books
10 March 1985, The News (Boca Raton,FL), “Low-cal, low-alcohol libations gain favor” by Nancy Miller, pg. 8A, col. 2:
For the past year, white wine, light beer, white wine spritzers, Perrier and cranberry mixes such as the Seabreeze (vodka, cranberry and grapefruit juice) have sold well at the Wildflower in Boca Raton.
 
Google Books
12 June 1985, The Ledger (Lakeland, FL), “Ten Ways to Beat the Summer Heat” by Susan Barbosa, pg. 1C, col. 2:
Juice drinks also summer favorites at Bennigan’s: Sea Breeze—cranberry and grapefruit juices with vodka. Bay Breeze—cranberry and pineapple juices with vodka. And Madrisse—orange and cranberry juices with vodka. These are even good without vodka.
 
22 July 1987, Rockford (IL) Register Star, “When summer sizzles…Cool it with a frosty drink” by Leona Carlson, pg. 1D, col. 3:
Stoli Sea Breeze
8 ounces cranberry juice cocktail
3 ounces grapefruit juice
1 1/2 ounces vodka
Lime garnish
 
Combine juices and vodka in tall glass over ice. Stir and garnish with lime.
 
5 November 1987, Aiken (SC) Standard, pg. 10, col. 4 ad:
SMIRNOFF SEABREEZE
1 1/2 oz Smirnoff,
3 oz cranberry juice,
3 oz grapefruit juice
(Smirnoff vodka.—ed.)
   
Google Books
Blithe Spirits:
A Toast to the Cocktail

By Jill Spalding
Washington, DC: A. Rosenbaum Projects
1988
Pg. 185:
SEA BREEZE, BAY BREEZE AND CAPE CODDER
America’s fascination with both cranberry juice and vodka has led to the invention of these three cool and refreshing cocktails. All three begin with a shot of vodka over ice in a collins glass.  For a Cape Codder, simply fill with cranberry juice. For a Sea Breeze, top with cranberry juice and a generous splash of grapefruit juice; for a Bay Breeze, it’s cranberry and pineapple juice, in the same proportions as in a Sea Breeze.
 
Google News Archive
10 August 1990, The Evening News (Newburgh-Beacon, NY), “Marlboro bartender: Drinking and driving are on the decline” by Bo Gill, pg. 5A, col. 3:
The Marlboro Central School graduate said that the most popular drinks are sea-breeze and day-breeze.
 
Sea-breeze is a mixture of vodka, cranberry and grapefruit, while day-breeze includes vodka and pineapple juice.

Posted by Barry Popik
New York CityFood/Drink • Sunday, August 10, 2014 • Permalink


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