Happy Days Cocktail recipe
Rating
Can you make this?
Add the ingredients you have at home to your My Bar and we'll show you what cocktails you can make. Start off by adding the ingredients you have for this cocktail using the plus icons.
Happy Days sits firmly in the fruity vodka-cocktail tradition: a bright, easygoing mix that feels at home alongside the sweet-and-tart “party drinks” that became staples on bar menus in the late 20th century. Rather than leaning on a single famous origin story, it’s best understood as a modern, crowd-pleasing sipper built around vodka’s clean base and the playful, candy-like lift of peach schnapps.
You’ll find vodka keeps the profile crisp and neutral, letting the fruit do the talking. Peach schnapps brings a bold, sweet stone-fruit note that immediately softens the edges, while pineapple juice adds rounded tropical sweetness and body. Grapefruit juice cuts through with a sharper citrus bite, keeping the balance from tipping too sugary and giving the finish a refreshing, slightly tangy snap.
Serve it in a cocktail glass when you want something upbeat and uncomplicated—ideal for pre-dinner drinks, casual celebrations, or any time you’re chasing a sunny, fruit-forward mood. It’s a natural pick if you like sweet cocktails but still want a bit of citrusy tension to keep each sip lively.
Microbadges
Can you make this?
Add the ingredients you have at home to your My Bar and we'll show you what cocktails you can make. Start off by adding the ingredients you have for this cocktail using the plus icons.
Tags
Cocktail glass
Ingredients
Cocktail Colin says:
Vodka keeps the base clean while peach schnapps leads with candy-sweet stone fruit, pineapple juice adds lush tropical body, and grapefruit juice brings a brisk, slightly bitter tang that snaps the finish. It works because grapefruit’s bite and acidity rein in the schnapps and pineapple sweetness, making it ideal for drinkers who want an easy, fruit-forward sipper without heavy booze heat.
Method
How to make a Happy Days
- Vodka 60ml, Peach schnapps 60ml, Pineapple juice 60ml, Grapefruit juice 60ml
-
- Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice cubes
-
- Stir well
-
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and serve
Power tips
Elevate the Happy Days with these master mixologist tips
Upgrade to premium
And receive world class tips on how to raise your cocktails to the next level.
Find out more- Upgrade to premium to receive power tips from top bartenders around the world. Raise you mixology game.
- Read the tweaks that take this simple cocktail to the next level of greatness. Become the next best mixologist which people all talk about.
Your private tasting notes
Featured in
FAQ's
What is the best way to serve the Happy Days cocktail?
The best way to serve the Happy Days cocktail is in a chilled cocktail glass. Since the drink is stirred and not shaken, make sure all ingredients are well combined over ice in a mixing glass first. Then, strain the mixture into the cocktail glass. This enhances the flavors and ensures the drink is served cold.
Can I substitute anything for the peach schnapps in the Happy Days cocktail?
Yes, if peach schnapps is not available, you can substitute it with apricot brandy or another fruit-flavored liqueur. The goal is to maintain the fruity profile of the drink, so consider liqueurs that complement the existing flavors of pineapple and grapefruit juice.
How does the alcohol content in Happy Days compare to a standard drink?
The Happy Days cocktail has an alcohol content of 13.75%. In comparison, a standard drink in many countries is considered to contain about 14 grams of pure alcohol, which roughly equates to 5% to 12% alcohol by volume depending on the type of drink. Therefore, the Happy Days cocktail falls into the higher range of alcohol content for a single mixed drink, making it relatively strong.
Upgrade your mixology
Become a member for free taking your cocktail making skills up to level 11. Or become a premium member to rise to cocktail greatness.
- Save your bar forever
- Access to our Cocktail Creator, allowing you to create your own wonderful concoctions.
- Access to Cocktail Colin; ask Cocktail Colin anything on an individual cocktail and he'll give you the answers you need.
- Create personalised cocktail menus for all your events, bars or parties
- Save cocktails to personalised 'Tried' and 'Want to try' lists
- Create and record tasting notes on cocktails
- Create lists of cocktails to share with friends and family
- A personalised MyBar URL, allowing you to share everything you can make with friends
- And much more ... (what to buy next, measurement choices, search personalisation...)
Have you tried our Wordpress Plugin?
Download our plugin and embed cocktail recipes directly onto your own site or blog.
Choose from our whole recipe database, or choose a specific cocktail made with a certain ingredient, and let us place a beautiful recipe on your own site.
Find out moreYou might also like
Create a cocktail
Choose a theme and some ingredients, give us some description and we'll create an amazing cocktail for you.
Register as a Premium Make Me a Cocktail community member and get access to an even more powerful creator.
Start creatingBuild your bar
Tell us what you have at home and we'll find a delicious cocktail for you to make right now.
Register as a Make Me a Cocktail community member and we'll save your ingredients list so you can come back to it at any time.
Create My Bar
Cocktail Colin
Your cocktail expert
Hi! I'm Cocktail Colin
Ask me anything about this cocktail - how to make it, substitutions, variations, or any other questions!
Become a member to access Cocktail Colin
Become a member (for free) to pick Cocktail Colin's cocktail filled brain on everything on this cocktail, from substitutions, if you can use what you have, to serving suggestions and more.
Become a member
Comments