There are several stories about the origins of this popular long drink. As most Slovak bartenders are unfamiliar with them, we decided to introduce its likely beginnings and original recipe. Later, we will also introduce bartenders who each offer a different perspective on the drink and their own version.
The story of Sex on the Beach began in autumn 1987, when National Distribution introduced peach schnapps — a peach liqueur — to the American market. To promote sales, the company organised a competition in Florida: the venue selling the most liqueur would receive a $1,000 bonus, and the bartender with the highest sales would also receive a cash reward. The winner was a young bartender, Ted Pizio of Confettis’s Bar, who mixed vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice and grenadine. When asked what his drink was called, Ted answered without much hesitation: Sex on the Beach. According to Ted, tourists came to Florida for spring break because of its exceptional beaches and sex, and those two words became the basis of the drink’s name.
You can find countless versions of this drink in bars around the world, thanks to tourists who continued ordering Sex on the Beach after returning from their holidays. Bartenders who did not know exactly how to make it created new variations using the ingredients available to them.