Photo: David Vaughn
Made famous by the TV show Sex in the City, this pretty pink cocktail served in the stiletto shape martini glass may be one of the most widely recognized cocktails in the world next to the classic Martini.
Ingredients
1 1/2 oz vodka
3/4 oz triple sec
1/2 oz lime juice
1/4 oz cranberry juice
garnish: lime wheel
Method
Combine all ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and double strain into martini glass. Garnish with lime wheel.
GLASS: MARTINI
Variations
Since its birth, regardless of who created it, bartenders across the world have been recreating this iconic libation using their own flair and creativity. There are so many flavored vodkas available today, you can achieve just about any flavor your heart desires! Use your favorite gin in place of vodka for a delicate twist!
Dale DeGroff's Cosmopolitan
Ingredients
1 1/2 oz citron vodka
1/2 oz Cointreau
1/4 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz cranberry juice
garnish: flamed orange peel
Method
Combine all ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and double strain into martini glass. Garnish with lime wheel.
GLASS: MARTINI
Photo: David Vaughn
History
The drink first appeared on menus in the 1980s in both the San Fransisco and Manhattan with each location claiming to be the originator. Many have been credited for the creation, but popular rumor states a mysterious woman named Cheryl Cook invented it in South Beach, Miami.
A Vodka Gimlet?
Famed bartender John Caine claims that the Cosmo was originally called a Vodka Gimlet and dates back to pre WWII. Gimlets were drinks with added sugar and lime to mask the flavor of well liquor. After WWII Cointreau (a French orange liqueur) was discovered and the Kamikaze was born. The Kamikaze is essentially the Cosmo minus the Cranberry but we’ll talk more about that later.
According to Dale DeGroff, Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice promoted spirits heavily and between 1956 and 1970 they aggressively marketed a collection of cocktails. One of the drinks called the Harpoon was the Cosmo minus the orange liqueur. DeGroff, also heavily credited for its creation, put it on his menu at the Rainbow Room in 1996. In his book The Craft of the Cocktail, he states, “Shortly after that, Madonna was spotted drinking one, and overnight I was getting calls from as far away as Germany and Australia for the recipe.”
Toby Cecchini (owner of Long Island Bar in New York) claimed that he took the disgusting west coast version which consisted of Rose’s lime juice and Rose’s grenadine and reconstructed it using fresh ingredients, Cointreau and Absolute Citron, which had just come out. Regardless of the origins, this tasty martini deserves a spot in your cocktail database.
Calories in a Cosmopolitan
Calories (kcal) | 172 |
Fat (g) | 0 |
Protein (g) | 0 |
Fiber (g) | 0 |