Cosmopolitan
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 14.1% ABV ∙
The Cosmopolitan is an IBA-listed vodka sour made with citron vodka, orange curaçao, lime juice, and cranberry juice, shaken and served up.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Citron vodka 40 mlOrange curaçao liqueur 15 mlLime juice 15 mlCranberry juice 30 ml
- Strain into large cocktail glass
- Garnish with a lemon twist
Tips
- Shake hard with plenty of ice for 12-15 seconds; cut it short and the drink comes out warm and too strong.
- Squeeze the lime fresh. Bottled juice tastes flat, and just 15 ml of it has to cut through the cranberry and curaçao.
History
The Cosmopolitan's exact origin is disputed among several competing claimants. Some accounts trace an early ancestor to a cocktail recipe called "The Harpoon" that Ocean Spray printed on its cranberry juice bottles starting in 1968, pairing vodka, cranberry juice, and a hint of lime. From the mid-1970s through the 1980s, several bartenders claimed credit for a pink, citrus-and-cranberry vodka drink they called the Cosmopolitan. They include Neal Murray in Minneapolis in 1975, Cheryl Cook at The Strand in Miami's South Beach in the mid-1980s, and John Caine, who encountered cranberry-based cocktails while bartending in Provincetown, Massachusetts, before bringing his version to San Francisco's gay bar scene.
The modern, widely imitated recipe is usually credited to Toby Cecchini, who reworked a rough version of the drink at The Odeon in Manhattan in 1988, sharpening it with citron vodka, Cointreau, and fresh lime juice. Bartender Dale DeGroff further popularized citrus-flavored vodka as the drink's base in the mid-1990s at the Rainbow Room in New York, adding a flamed orange peel garnish. The International Bartenders Association adopted this citron-vodka formula for its official recipe, listing it among its Contemporary Classics.
The cocktail's profile rose sharply after Madonna was photographed drinking one at a Rainbow Room party, and it became further identified with the character Samantha in the television series Sex and the City.
FAQ
What goes in a Cosmopolitan?
Citron vodka (40 ml), orange curaçao liqueur (15 ml), lime juice (15 ml), and cranberry juice (30 ml). The citron vodka gives citrus flavor, the curaçao sweetness, and the cranberry tartness.
Is a Cosmopolitan shaken or stirred?
Shaken. The citrus and cranberry juices need the aeration and quick chill of a hard shake; stirring would leave the drink flat and under-diluted.
What glass is a Cosmopolitan served in?
A cocktail glass, served up with a lemon twist. It is strained, so no ice reaches the glass.
Can you use Aperol in a Cosmopolitan?
Not in the standard recipe, which uses orange curaçao. Aperol would swap the curaçao's orange sweetness for a bitter, herbal edge, so you would get a different drink.
