Starting life as a trendy drink in the Castro district of San Francisco, the proto-cocktail that lead to the modern Cosmopolitan was a mix of Rose’s Lime Cordial, grenadine, and well vodka. When Toby Cecchini set out to make a version in the late 80s, he never thought it would be the type of drink that drinkers would be obsessed with for well over a decade. Building off a simple sour structure, the Cosmopolitan ended up incorporating even parts lime, Cointreau, and cranberry cocktail with two parts of citrus vodka. The result is a much pinker and more tart version of the heavily cranberry laden ones that are frequently seen.
If your leading perception of the Cosmopolitan is the drink of the girls on Sex And The City, then you owe the Cosmopolitan another look.
Cosmopolitan
The Cosmopolitan has experienced a number of misrepresentations, but a true Cosmo is nothing short of brilliant. The drink is taught and balanced like a Daiquiri, but with a citrus finesse that gives the drink an electric character. The sweetness of cranberry adds a subtle fruitiness that ties the entire experience together. Be aware, unlike some interpretations the original Cosmo is bright (read acidic), it’s supposed to be, but also balanced against the sweetness.
Drink Notes & Recommendations
Making a Cosmopolitan is very straightforward, and basically involves putting all the ingredients in the shaker with ice. Most of the issues Cosmopolitans have come from variations in ratios (too much / too little cranberry, lime, or Cointreau) or ingredient variation themselves (like unsweetened cranberry juice).
- Citrus Vodka – This seems like it wouldn’t make a big difference, but if you side by side two Cosmopolitans, you’ll see there’s an entire layer of flavor missing. Can you make one without it, sure. Will it taste as electrifying? Not even close. In our testing we used Stolichnaya Citrus.
- Cointreau – We always recommend using Cointreau, but you can substitute Triple Sec here.
- Lime Juice – For best results, use fresh squeezed.
- Cranberry Juice – The original recipe calls for Cranberry Juice (and is focused on the old school cranberry cocktail). This gave the recipe sweetness and color, as well as a pleasing berry note. Modern times have introduced 100% Cranberry juices and unsweetened variants. These can make delicious Cosmopolitans, but not at an ounce. These bring not only a more intense cranberry flavor, but also tannins and additional tartness. As a result, you may find that you need to turn down the lime juice and add simple syrup to counteract the change. When making with unsweetened cranberry juice, aim for a ½ ounce.
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