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Cosmopolitan Cocktail

A fruity sophisticated cocktail to bring out your inner Samantha! 

History of the Cosmopolitan 

Get ready because there is some drama behind this cocktail! To start, several bartenders claim to be the original creators of the Cosmopolitan cocktail. Seriously, there are too many to count. This is probably because the drink is so famous, everyone wants to wear the belt and claim they invented it first.

The bartending community appears to be divided by two serious candidates. The first bartender is Neal Murray. He created the drink in 1975 while working at a bar in Minneapolis. 

The story goes: he made a Kamikaze cocktail but decided to add a splash of cranberry juice. Someone in his party took a sip of the new mix and said out loud, “How cosmopolitan!” And that was how the name was decided. 

Cosmopolitan means including or containing people from many different countries. A person can also be cosmopolitan. This implies the person carries a degree of sophistication. We assume they are worldly, traveled, and cultured. If someone calls you cosmopolitan, it is meant as a compliment!

The second bartender is Cheryl Cook, who worked at a bar in South Beach. Her claim to the Cosmopolitan cocktail is ten years after Neal’s.

Both parties are unrelenting in their claim to be the original creator of the Cosmopolitan cocktail. However, we do know the fame associated with this drink is entirely attributed to a 1990s hit TV show, Sex and the City. 

Carrie Bradshaw’s drink of choice was the bright red Cosmopolitan, but all the lead characters drank them. It was fun for viewers to go out to a bar and order a cocktail they watched their favorite characters drink in the show. As the show gained popularity, so did the cocktail. It is now permanently embedded into the bar scene. 

What Goes In a Cosmopolitan?

A classic cosmopolitan is a vodka-based drink. The essence of a cosmopolitan is sophistication and pleasure. If you can, use top-shelf vodka for this drink. It will elevate the experience, and you will feel slightly more luxurious. 

Top shelf liquors contain high-quality ingredients which undergo several distillation processes. Aging is also an important factor when creating alcohol, and all of these steps impact the final quality of the liquor. As you can imagine, the more steps required to create a product, the higher the price tag. 

Triple Sec is an orange-flavored liquor that hails from France. It contains moderately high alcohol content and is popular in mixed drinks. The citrus notes add brightness and lightness to cut through the heavy notes of booze.

Triple sec is a great mixer that is also used for Long Island Ice Teas, Sidecars, and Mai Tais. It is versatile, so don’t be afraid to add a bottle of triple sec to your home bar.

Cranberry Juice is the most important ingredient to make your cosmo, a cosmo. The cranberry juice injects the mandatory pinky-red color a person expects to see when they order this drink.

The standard recipe calls for sweetened Cranberry juice, so buying a bottle of ocean spray will suffice for this cocktail. Other essential components of this drink include an orange twist to garnish, and a tall stemmed martini glass. 

The Freshly Squeezed lime juice will add dimension to the cocktail. The acidity of the fruit will cut through the bold alcohol flavors, and enhance your experience. Fresh lime juice is a simple ingredient, and it might feel like something you could pass on, but your cosmo recipe will not be complete without it. 

Tips For Making The Perfect Cosmo

You will need a classic martini glass to serve your Cosmopolitan. The vessel of these wide glasses can feel like the most obvious place to hold your glass.

Unfortunately, if you cup the vessel with your hand, you risk warming the drink. For certain cocktails, this might be okay, but a cosmo is meant to be enjoyed chilled. Make sure you hold the stem of your glass when you retrieve your drink and take a sip. 

Final Thoughts

In my book, a cocktail is not famous until variations exist. Fans love to play with ingredients and find new ways to enjoy their favorite beverages. The cosmopolitan has many variations, so congratulations Cosmo cocktails! You made it! 

The White Cosmopolitan calls for white cranberry juice instead of regular cranberry juice. The cocktail is still served in a tall martini glass, but the color is a semi-opaque white. White cranberry juice is slightly less tart than regular varieties. This softer cranberry taste will appeal to individuals who are sensitive and averse to bitter flavors. 

Another popular variation of the Cosmo cocktail is the Cosmobellini. It is a hybrid drink that marries all the best parts of a Cosmpolitan and a Bellini cocktail. This drink is bubbly, fruity, and a great option for brunch or a light meal. You may want to serve this at a celebration event in the summer because nothing says celebration like prosecco!

Cosmopolitan Cocktail

Cosmopolitan Cocktail

Yield: 1 drink
Prep Time: 1 minute
Total Time: 1 minute

Slip into something a little more comfortable with our fabulous cosmopolitan cocktail! This drink is perfect for any night in, whether you're by yourself or with friends. Let the stresses of the day melt away as you enjoy the delightful flavor of our cosmopolitan cocktail. This drink is a tempting mix of vodka, cranberry juice, triple sec, and lime juice, all blended together to create a delicious concoction that is sure to please. So go ahead and treat yourself to something special tonight! Our cosmopolitan cocktail is guaranteed to make your night one to remember.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Add ice to a cocktail shaker and pour in all the ingredients
  2. Shake the mix together for approximately 30 seconds or until the shaker is well chilled
  3. Strain your mix into a martini glass and garnish with a twist. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 266Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 6mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 5gSugar: 19gProtein: 2g
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