One of the most popular cocktails to ever slide across a bar top, the Cosmopolitan is a sophisticated sip that is also beautiful to behold.
There’s no way to talk about the cocktail we’re looking at today without mentioning the show Sex and the City. The Cosmopolitan owes so much of its popularity to those feisty ladies from the iconic HBO series. Countless “Cosmos” were shaken and served throughout the late 1990s at the height of the show’s popularity. I lived in New York City at the time, and you could not go to any bar in Manhattan without seeing this colorful drink in just about everyone’s hands. I had one before I even knew what it was called. I pointed at someone’s and said to the bartender, “That looks good.” By the release of the 2008 film sequel, main character Carrie Bradshaw had stopped drinking them “because everyone else started.”
The Cosmopolitan owes much of its fame to celebrity endorsement. Bartender and author Dale DeGroff, a.k.a. “The King of Cocktails”, said that one night in 1996 mega–pop star Madonna was seen drinking one while out and about. Literally overnight, DeGroff was being inundated with phone calls from all over the world requesting the recipe. A few years later, in 1998, Sex and the City premiered. The rest is tipsy history.
A potent mixture of vodka, Cointreau (or any orange liqueur), lime and cranberry juice, the Cosmopolitan seems to be one of the most universally enjoyed cocktails. A perfect blend of sweet and tart, the delicious tipple satisfies everyone’s palate. Many drinkers don’t like the burn or spiciness of many spirits, and this drink offers a softer taste with the same kick.
The history of the drink isn’t so cut and dried, however. One of the first mentions of the mixture was in 1934, in the book Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars 1903-1933. In it was something called the Cosmopolitan Daisy, a similar recipe to the modern one, featuring gin, raspberry syrup and lemon juice along with the Cointreau. John Caine, owner of many popular bars in San Francisco in the 1970s, is often credited with the drink’s popularity there at that time, bringing the cocktail with him from Cleveland, Ohio. In 1975, bartender Neal Murray claims he invented the beverage at the Cork & Cleaver Steakhouse in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Adding cranberry juice to a Kamikaze, the customer he served it to was said to have exclaimed, “How cosmopolitan!” Murray’s recipe called for gin and Rose’s Lime, a sweetened and concentrated lime syrup.
If you can believe it, there are even more claims to this super-popular beverage’s creation. But I think it’s time we made one and let the Cosmopolitan tell its own tale.
What is the Best Vodka to Use in a Cosmopolitan?
There are two schools of thought when it comes to what type of vodka is the best choice for your Cosmo. For starters, there really is no “best”, but rather, what you prefer. This cocktail is well known for using citron vodka, a lemon-infused spirit, as the base ingredient. But many bartenders opt for using a flavorless one instead, allowing for a slightly tarter taste. I have tried them both and found the citron to add a wonderful extra splash of citrus.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1 ounce orange-flavored liqueur
- 1 ounce cranberry juice
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- Ice cubes
- Orange peel twist for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine vodka, orange-flavored liqueur, cranberry juice, and fresh lime juice.
- Fill the shaker with ice, secure the lid, and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds or until the outside of the shaker feels cold.
- Strain the mixture into a chilled martini glass.
- Garnish with a twist of orange peel.
Nutrition
FAQs & Tips
This drink is famously served in a chilled martini glass. Put yours in the freezer for at least 15 minutes before using. Garnish with an orange twist or, if you prefer, a lemon peel, to complement the liqueur.
You can pre-mix larger batches of this cocktail ahead of a party and keep it stored in an airtight container for up to a week. Just shake up individual servings with ice before pouring and garnish with fresh citrus.
At 238 calories, the Cosmo isn’t the skinny drink so many people might think it is.
No. It is often confused for a style of martini because of the glass it is usually served in, but this drink is technically from the gimlet family, traditionally a mixture of gin and lime juice.
Cosmopolitan Cocktail Variations
As the Cosmopolitan has remained a popular cocktail since the 1990s, there were bound to be a number of offshoots and inspired takes on its recipe. Part of the fun with discovering the story of this beverage is seeing, and tasting, some of the fascinating variations that were born from it. Check out some of them below.
- Virgin Cosmopolitan – Like to party but don’t like hangovers? Replace the vodka and liqueur with orange juice and pink lemonade.
- CosNOpolitan – Another booze-free treat, this mocktail features cranberry and lime juice, non-alcoholic bitters and club soda.
- Constipolitan – Feeling a little backed up? Replace the cranberry juice for prune juice and see how fast you end up moving.
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