Cosmopolitan (cocktail)

A cosmopolitan is a cocktail made with vodka, Cointreau or Triple Sec, cranberry juice, and fresh-squeezed lime juice or sweetened lime juice. Informally, it is referred to as a Cosmo.

History

According to the International Bartenders Association the original recipe is based on vodka citron, lemon-flavored vodka. The cosmopolitan is a relative of cranberry coolers like the Cape Codder. Though often presented far differently, the cosmopolitan also bears a likeness in composition to the kamikaze cocktail.

This origins of the cosmopolitan are somewhat disputed. It is likely that the drink was created independently by different bartenders since the 1970s. It is generally recognized that John Caine brought the drink to San Francisco around 1987 from the Midwest. The same year in Manhattan, the internationally recognized version of the cocktail was created by Toby Cecchini, based on a poorly described version of Cheryl Cook's creation.

The 1970s

Provincetown One version of the creation of this popular drink credits the accomplishment to the gay community in Provincetown, Massachusetts.Neal Murray An alternate account names the creator as Neal Murray of the Cork & Cleaver steakhouse in Minneapolis in 1975.

John Caine

John Caine, owner of several popular bars in San Francisco and cosmopolitan expert, partially credits the upsurge in cocktails during the 1970s to the Cosmo being served at fern bars. He describes the history of the cosmopolitan this way:

The cosmo is the granddaughter of an evolution of drinks that began with vodka and gin in the ’50s and ’60s. You remember the gimlet from the ’30s and ’40s? ... Vodka and Rose's Lime, that's a gimlet. That goes back 100 years. Then 40 years later you add triple sec to it and orange liqueur and that makes it the kamikaze. Then Ocean Spray developed cranberry juice out of New England. That gets added and then you have the cosmo. I worked in a lot of cutting-edge bars in Cleveland and Cincinnati, and we were making cosmos [around 1987].

Cheryl Cook

A commonly cited story concerning the origins of this drink links South Beach, Florida bartender Cheryl Cook with the original creation. Some people think that Cook is a mythical character, but in an online interview, Cook related the story of how she created the drink in 1985 or 1986:

What overwhelmed me was the number of people who ordered Martinis just to be seen with a Martini glass in their hand. It was on this realization that gave me the idea to create a drink that everyone could palate and was visually stunning in that classic glass. This is what the Cosmo was based on.

Her original recipes called for "Absolut Citron, a splash of Triple Sec, a drop of Roses lime and just enough cranberry to make it oh so pretty in pink, ".

Toby Cecchini

Another important person involved in the creation of the drink was Toby Cecchini of Manhattan. While working at The Odeon in 1987/1988, Cecchini worked from a poorly described version of Cook's original drink, and developed a slightly different version using Cointreau and fresh-squeezed lime juice. Cecchini's version has become an internationally standardized method for preparing the drink.

Popularity

The cosmopolitan gained popularity fairly quickly, traveling from Provincetown, through New York, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and on to San Francisco (Caine) or possibly from Miami to San Francisco, and on to New York (Cook).

The cosmopolitan gained popularity in the 1990s. It was further popularized among young women by its frequent mention on the television program Sex and the City, where Sarah Jessica Parker's character, Carrie Bradshaw, commonly ordered the drink when out with her girlfriends. In the episode "Sex and the Country", Carrie goes to a drive-through diner and jokingly orders, "A cheese burger, large fries and a cosmopolitan please". The film adaptation made a reference to its popularity.

It is not only in television that the cosmo has influenced popular culture. Demeter Fragrance Library has created a cologne intended to smell like the cosmopolitan cocktail.

Preparation and serving

The cosmopolitan is usually served in a large cocktail glass, also called a martini glass. For this reason, the drink is sometimes mistakenly categorized as a type of martini.

Mix 2 parts lemon vodka to one part triple sec combined with one part cranberry and the juice of half a lime. Cointreau or other high-quality triple sec provides a cleaner taste than cheaper triple sec, and is generally substituted in the cosmopolitan. Grand Marnier produces a very sweet and cloying version and should be avoided. The cranberry mainly adds colour and should not excessively dilute the drink.

A wedge of lemon or lime, or a twist of orange or lemon peel, are commonly used to garnish. Traditionally a coin sized piece of orange should be "flamed" across the top of the drink. This coats the drink with a slick of citrus oil, but also produces a flame.

Variations

One variation is to squeeze a lime wedge into the chilled cocktail glass instead of including it with the ingredients to be shaken.
The original non-IBA versions used Rose's lime cordial instead of fresh lime juice, and Triple Sec instead of Cointreau, and uses different proportions
Sour mix may be substituted for either type of lime juice.
A blue cosmopolitan may be made by using white cranberry juice instead of standard red juice, and blue curaçao in place of the triple sec.
A Cosmocello substitutes limoncello for the lime juice.