Dixie Cosmopolitan
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 15.4% ABV ∙
The Dixie Cosmopolitan shakes Southern-style whisky liqueur and triple sec with lime cordial, sweetened cranberry juice and a cinnamon stick. Spiced cinnamon warmth sits over tart cranberry and lime, with a soft citrus sweetness from the whisky liqueur trailing into a mellow, lightly spiced finish — a cool-weather take on a cocktail-hour classic.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Break a section of Cinnamon stick and drop into the shaker
- Add the remaining ingredients: Southern / Louisiana-style whisky liqueur 30 mlTriple sec 30 mlLime cordial 15 mlCranberry juice 45 ml
- Shake with ice
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express flamed an orange twist over the cocktail, then use as garnish
Tips
- Shake the cinnamon stick with the other ingredients rather than muddling it, so it perfumes the drink without turning bitter or gritty.
- Shake hard and fine-strain into a chilled glass; the sweetened cranberry juice needs the aeration to blend cleanly with the liqueurs.
- Express the orange twist over the glass before dropping it in — the oils lift the cinnamon and citrus notes already in the drink.
History
The Dixie Cosmopolitan is a variation on the Cosmopolitan, credited to bartender Matthew Dakers around 2005. The Cosmopolitan itself has a disputed lineage: a commonly cited version credits Miami Beach bartender Cheryl Cook, head bartender at The Strand in South Beach, with creating the drink in 1985 or 1986 using citron vodka, triple sec, Rose's lime, and cranberry juice. Some accounts trace an earlier claimant, Neal Murray, who said he made a cocktail called Cosmopolitan in 1975 while bartending in Golden Valley, Minnesota, and others point to a version that circulated in San Francisco gay bars in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The internationally recognized modern formula is usually attributed to Toby Cecchini and Melissa Huffsmith-Roth, who reworked the drink at The Odeon in Manhattan in 1988-89, swapping in fresh lime juice and Cointreau. The Dixie Cosmopolitan takes that lineage and replaces the vodka base with a Southern-style whisky liqueur, giving the drink its "Dixie" name.
FAQ
What is a Dixie Cosmopolitan made of?
Southern-style whisky liqueur (such as Southern Comfort) and triple sec, shaken with lime cordial, sweetened cranberry juice, and a cinnamon stick, then strained into a chilled glass and finished with an orange twist. It comes in at about 15.4% ABV and roughly 224 calories per serving.
What is a Cosmopolitan made of?
A classic Cosmopolitan is vodka, orange liqueur, cranberry juice, and fresh lime juice, shaken and served up in a chilled glass with a lime wheel or orange twist. The Dixie Cosmopolitan reworks that formula, swapping the vodka for a Southern-style whisky liqueur and adding a cinnamon stick and lime cordial in place of fresh lime juice.
Is a Dixie Cosmopolitan shaken or stirred?
Shaken. The cranberry juice and lime cordial need the aeration and quick chill of a hard shake to blend into the liqueurs, and the cinnamon stick infuses its spice during the shake as well.
What glass is a Dixie Cosmopolitan served in?
A cocktail glass, garnished with an orange twist.
What is a Dixie?
Dixie is a historic nickname for the southern United States, most closely associated with the states that once formed the Confederacy. The name lends this cocktail its identity, pointing to the Southern-style whisky liqueur that replaces the vodka in a standard Cosmopolitan.
Is a Dixie Cosmopolitan vegan?
Yes, this recipe is vegan, vegetarian, and lactose-free, as none of its ingredients — the whisky liqueur, triple sec, lime cordial, cranberry juice, or cinnamon stick garnish — derive from animal products.
