Listen, the Cape Codder is what happens when someone from Massachusetts decides to booze it up. This isn’t some complicated craft cocktail that requires a chemistry degree—it’s three ingredients and attitude. 🍹
Two parts cranberry juice, one part vodka, splash of lime—boom, you’re drinking like you own a yacht in Nantucket.
The Cape Codder is typically served in a highball glass. A highball glass is perfect for this refreshing cocktail because it gives you room for plenty of ice and that gorgeous ruby-red color really pops. If you don’t have a highball, a collins glass works just fine.
Cape Codder Recipe
The Cape Codder is a refreshing American cocktail combining vodka, cranberry juice, and fresh lime juice. This simple drink captures the essence of New England summers in a glass. It’s basically adult cranberry juice that actually tastes good and gets you buzzed.
1
servings150
kcal2
minutesIngredients
2 Ounces Vodka (Tito’s or Grey Goose)
4 Ounces Cranberry juice
0.5 Ounce Fresh lime juice
1 Piece Lime wheel
3-4 Pieces Fresh cranberries (optional)
Directions
- Fill a highball glass with fresh ice cubes.
- Add vodka and fresh lime juice to the glass.
- Pour in cranberry juice slowly to create layers if desired.
- Stir gently to combine all ingredients.
- Garnish with a lime wheel on the rim.
- Add fresh cranberries for extra visual appeal (optional but Instagram-worthy).
Equipment
A Bar Above Gold Japanese JiggerBuy this jigger here
A Bar Above Stainless Steel Long Bar Spoons (Gold)Buy this spoon here
A Bar Above Stainless Steel Citrus Juicer (Gold)A Bar Above Stainless Steel Citrus Juicer (Gold)
Luigi Bormioli Highball Cocktail GlassBuy it here
Recipe Video
Notes
- Always use fresh lime juice – the bottled stuff tastes like sadness and regret.
- For the best color contrast, pour cranberry juice slowly over the back of a spoon.
- Ocean Spray cranberry juice is the classic choice, but upgrade to Simply Cranberry for less sugar.
- Don’t skip the garnish – that lime wheel makes it look like you actually know what you’re doing.
The Best Ingredients For a Cape Codder
- Vodka: Tito’s ($20) is my go-to for clean flavor, but Grey Goose ($45) if you’re feeling fancy. Avoid anything that tastes like rubbing alcohol.
- Cranberry Juice: Ocean Spray is the classic choice, but upgrade to Northland or Simply Cranberry for less sugar and more tartness.
- Lime Juice: Fresh squeezed only! Those little plastic limes are an insult to Massachusetts.
- Lime Wheel: For garnish—make it pretty, people will notice.
Fun Fact
The Cape Codder was originally called the “Red Devil” in some bars during the 1970s—probably because it goes down too easy.
Why I Like It
The Cape Codder is like the perfect summer fling—refreshing, uncomplicated, and you never get tired of it. That cranberry juice hits different when it’s ice-cold and mixed with good vodka. It’s tart enough to wake you up but smooth enough to keep you coming back.
Plus, let’s be real—this drink photographs like a dream. That deep red color against clear ice? *Chef’s kiss* Pure Instagram gold. It’s like drinking a New England sunset, if sunsets got you buzzed.
And here’s the thing nobody tells you: it’s basically a health drink 😉. Cranberries are loaded with antioxidants, so you’re practically doing cardio while drinking. I mean, don’t quote me on that to your doctor, but still.
A Brief History of the Cape Codder 🍸
The Cape Codder emerged in the 1960s when Ocean Spray was trying to figure out what to do with all their cranberry juice. Some genius bartender—probably in Massachusetts, let’s be honest—decided to spike it with vodka and call it a day.
Unlike other cocktails with mysterious origins involving counts and speakeasies, the Cape Codder has a beautifully American origin story: corporate marketing meeting cocktail culture. Ocean Spray literally promoted this drink to sell more cranberry juice.
The Cape Codder became so popular that it spawned an entire family of cranberry cocktails, from the Cosmopolitan to the Sea Breeze. It’s basically the grandfather of every pink drink you’ve ever Instagrammed.
By the 1980s, this drink was everywhere from country clubs in Connecticut to dive bars in Boston. It became the unofficial drink of anyone who wanted to feel fancy without actually knowing anything about cocktails.
The beauty of the Cape Codder is its simplicity. While other cocktails were getting more complicated with exotic ingredients and molecular gastronomy, this drink stayed true to its roots: vodka, cranberry juice, lime. Done.
Final Thoughts 🎉
The Cape Codder proves that sometimes the best things in life are the simplest. At around 150 calories per drink, it’s lighter than most cocktails but packs enough flavor to keep things interesting. It’s like the Taylor Swift of cocktails—accessible, popular, and somehow always hits just right.
Whether you’re hosting a summer barbecue or just want something that tastes like vacation in a glass, the Cape Codder delivers. So what’s your take? Love it? Think it’s too simple? Rate it in the comments below.
