Cosmopolitan (cocktail)
A Cosmopolitan is a cocktail made with vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice, and lime juice. Informally referred to as a Cosmo, the Cosmopolitan is usually served in a cocktail glass. For this reason it is often erroneously categorized as a martini because martinis are also served in cocktail glasses.
Some variations call for Rose's lime cordial or sour mix instead of lime juice, and triple sec instead of Cointreau.
The Cosmopolitan first gained noted popularity in the 1990s, and was further popularized among young women by its frequent mention on the the television program "Sex and the City".
According to City Pages [1], the Cosmopolitan was created in 1975 by Neal Murray at a steak house in Minneapolis called the Cork & Cleaver. This is disputed by a number of sources including The Food Maven website[2] and an interview from Cheryl Cook [3] who claims to be the true creator of the drink in 1985 while bartending in Miami. Toby Cecchini [4] also claims to have invented the drink at the Odeon in New York.
Typical Recipe
- 1½ measures/6 tsp vodka
- 1 measure/1½ tbsp Cointreau or triple sec
- 1 measure/1½ tbsp cranberry juice
- ½ measure/2 tsp lime juice
The ingredients are to be shaken well with ice and strained into a cocktail glass (also known as a Martini glass). A wedge of lime, or a twist of orange or lemon peel, is used to garnish. Using high-quality vodka and triple sec (or ideally, Cointreau) and pure cranberry juice will result in a much cleaner-tasting drink. A variation on this is to squeeze a lime wedge into the chilled cocktail glass instead of including it with the ingredients to be shaken.
External links
- According to the IBA (International Bartenders Association) the original recipe is based on Absolut Citron. For the original recipe see Absolut Cosmopolitan.
- Cosmopolitan preparation(in spanish)