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Cosmopolitan (cocktail)
Encyclopedia
A cosmopolitan is a cocktail
made with vodka
, triple sec
, cranberry juice
, and freshly squeezed lime
juice or sweetened lime juice. Informally, it is referred to as a Cosmo.
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.
The 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 Minnesota
. 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.
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.
s.
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:
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."
However, Absolut Citron was not introduced anywhere until 1988.
. While working at The Odeon in 1987/1988, Her friend Patrick Mullen had tasted a version of it in Miami and she developed a slightly different version using Absolut Citron, Cointreau
and fresh-squeezed lime juice, and that the color should be "....just barely pink - the color of pink lemonade." Huffsmith's version has become an internationally standardized method for preparing the drink.
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. According to Brian Gougherty, the cosmo 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. The film adaptation made a reference to its popularity when Miranda asks why they stopped drinking them, Carrie replies 'because everyone else started.'
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.
, 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. The cranberry mainly adds colour and should not excessively dilute the drink.
A lemon twist is sometimes 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. Currently, it is popular to see a Cosmopolitan garnished with a lime wedge.
Cocktail
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients—at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol...
made with vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
, triple sec
Triple sec
Triple sec, originally Curaçao triple sec, is a variety of Curaçao liqueur, an orange-flavoured liqueur made from the dried peels of bitter and sweet orange....
, cranberry juice
Cranberry juice
Cranberry juice is the juice of the cranberry. Commercially, it is sold in either as a pure juice, which is quite tart, or, more commonly, as cranberry juice "cocktail" or "drink" , in blends with other juices, such as apple or grape, or mixed with water and corn syrup, sugar, or an artificial...
, and freshly squeezed lime
Lime (fruit)
Lime is a term referring to a number of different citrus fruits, both species and hybrids, which are typically round, green to yellow in color, 3–6 cm in diameter, and containing sour and acidic pulp. Limes are a good source of vitamin C. Limes are often used to accent the flavors of foods and...
juice or sweetened lime juice. Informally, it is referred to as a Cosmo.
History
According to the International Bartenders AssociationInternational Bartenders Association
The International Bartenders Association, often confused with the International Bar Association, founded on February 24, 1951 in the Saloon of the Grand Hotel in Torquay, England, is an international organization established in order to represent the best bartenders in the world.An annual event,...
the original recipe is based on vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
citron, lemon-flavored vodka. The cosmopolitan is a relative of cranberry coolers like the Cape Codder
Cape Codder (cocktail)
The Cape Cod or Cape Codder is a type of cocktail made with only fruit juice and spirits. The name refers to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in the eastern United States...
. Though often presented far differently, the cosmopolitan also bears a likeness in composition to the kamikaze
Kamikaze (cocktail)
The Kamikaze is made of two to one parts vodka, triple sec and lemon juice. According to the International Bartenders Association, it is served straight up in a cocktail glass. Garnish is typically a wedge or twist of lime....
cocktail.
The 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 Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. 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
ProvincetownOne version of the creation of this popular drink credits the accomplishment to the gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
community in Provincetown, Massachusetts
Provincetown, Massachusetts
Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,431 at the 2000 census, with an estimated 2007 population of 3,174...
.
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 barFern bar
Fern bar is an American slang term for an upscale or preppy bar or tavern catering to singles usually decorated with ferns or other "fussy" plants, as well as such decor as fake Tiffany lamps...
s.
Cheryl Cook
A commonly cited story concerning the origins of this drink links South Beach, FloridaSouth Beach, Florida
South Beach is a census-designated place on Orchid Island in Indian River County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,457 at the 2000 census...
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:
Her original recipes called for "Absolut Citron, a splash of Triple Sec
Triple sec
Triple sec, originally Curaçao triple sec, is a variety of Curaçao liqueur, an orange-flavoured liqueur made from the dried peels of bitter and sweet orange....
, a drop of Roses lime and just enough cranberry to make it oh so pretty in pink."
However, Absolut Citron was not introduced anywhere until 1988.
Pink Lemonade Pink
Another important person involved in the creation of the drink was Melissa Huffsmith of ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. While working at The Odeon in 1987/1988, Her friend Patrick Mullen had tasted a version of it in Miami and she developed a slightly different version using Absolut Citron, Cointreau
Cointreau
Cointreau is a brand of triple sec produced in Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou, France. It is drunk as an apéritif and digestif, and is a component of several well-known cocktails. It was originally called "Curaçao Blanco Triple Sec".-Production:...
and fresh-squeezed lime juice, and that the color should be "....just barely pink - the color of pink lemonade." Huffsmith's version has become an internationally standardized method for preparing the drink.
Popularity
The cosmopolitan gained popularity in the 1990s. According to Brian Gougherty, the cosmo was further popularized among young women by its frequent mention on the television program Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
, where Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker is an American film, television, and theater actress and producer.She is best known for her leading role as Carrie Bradshaw on the HBO television series Sex and the City , for which she won four Golden Globe Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Emmy Awards...
's character, Carrie Bradshaw
Carrie Bradshaw
Carrie Preston is the fictional narrator and lead character of the HBO sitcom/drama Sex and the City, portrayed by actress Sarah Jessica Parker. She is a semi-autobiographical character created by Candace Bushnell, who published the book Sex and the City, based on her own columns in the New York...
, commonly ordered the drink when out with her girlfriends. The film adaptation made a reference to its popularity when Miranda asks why they stopped drinking them, Carrie replies 'because everyone else started.'
It is not only in television that the cosmo has influenced popular culture. Demeter Fragrance Library
Demeter Fragrance Library
DemeterFL, Inc. is a Great Neck, New York company that sells fragrances based on familiar, "everyday" scents, such as dirt, tomatoes, and chocolate chip cookies. The fragrances are intended to be an evocative, "idealized" representation of these scents, which Demeter calls "single experience...
has created a cologne intended to smell like the cosmopolitan cocktail.
Preparation and serving
The cosmopolitan is usually served in a large cocktail glassCocktail glass
A cocktail glass is a stemmed glass which has a cone-shaped bowl placed upon a stem above a flat base. It is mainly used to serve cocktails. Its form derives from the fact that all cocktails are traditionally served chilled and contain an aromatic element...
, also called a martini glass. For this reason, the drink is sometimes mistakenly categorized as a type of martini
Martini (cocktail)
The martini is a cocktail made with gin and vermouth, and garnished with an olive or a lemon twist. Over the years, the martini has become one of the best-known mixed alcoholic beverages. H. L. Mencken called the martini "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet" and E. B...
.
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. The cranberry mainly adds colour and should not excessively dilute the drink.
A lemon twist is sometimes used to garnish
Cocktail garnish
Cocktail garnishes are decorative ornaments that add character or style to a mixed drink, most notably to cocktails.A large variety of cocktail garnishes are used. Many rum-based cocktails, especially those with fruit flavors, tend to be decorated with tropical-themed garnishes or slices of fruit....
. 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. Currently, it is popular to see a Cosmopolitan garnished with a lime wedge.
Variations
- One variation is to squeeze a lime wedge into the chilled cocktail glassCocktail glassA cocktail glass is a stemmed glass which has a cone-shaped bowl placed upon a stem above a flat base. It is mainly used to serve cocktails. Its form derives from the fact that all cocktails are traditionally served chilled and contain an aromatic element...
instead of including it with the ingredientIngredientAn ingredient is a substance that forms part of a mixture . For example, in cooking, recipes specify which ingredients are used to prepare a specific dish. Many commercial products contain a secret ingredient that is purported to make them better than competing products...
s to be shakenCocktail shakerA cocktail shaker is a device used to mix beverages by shaking. When ice is put in the shaker this allows for a quicker cooling of the drink before serving....
. - The original non-IBAIBA Official CocktailAn IBA Official Cocktail is one of many cocktails selected by the International Bartenders Association for use in the annual World Cocktail Competition in bartending...
versions used Rose's lime cordialRose's lime juiceRose's lime juice, often known simply as Rose's, is a line of juice products first patented in 1867. The range includes both the original concentrated squash or cordial and also diluted drink mixers...
instead of fresh lime juice, and Triple SecTriple secTriple sec, originally Curaçao triple sec, is a variety of Curaçao liqueur, an orange-flavoured liqueur made from the dried peels of bitter and sweet orange....
instead of CointreauCointreauCointreau is a brand of triple sec produced in Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou, France. It is drunk as an apéritif and digestif, and is a component of several well-known cocktails. It was originally called "Curaçao Blanco Triple Sec".-Production:...
, and uses different proportions - A blue cosmopolitan may be made by using white cranberry juice instead of standard red juice, and blue curaçaoCuraçao liqueurCuraçao is a liqueur flavoured with the dried peel of the laraha citrus fruit, grown on the island of Curaçao. A non-native plant similar to an orange, the laraha developed from the sweet Valencia orange transplanted by Spanish explorers. The nutrient-poor soil and arid climate of Curaçao proved...
in place of the triple sec. - A Cosmocello substitutes limoncelloLimoncelloLimoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur mainly produced in Southern Italy, especially in the region around the Gulf of Naples, the Sorrentine Peninsula and the coast of Amalfi and islands of Procida, Ischia and Capri, but also in Sicily, Sardinia, Menton in France, and the Maltese island of Gozo...
for the lime juice. - Another variation calls for stirring in a mixing glass, instead of shaking.
- A Peach Cosmopolitan substitutes peach schnapps for triple secTriple secTriple sec, originally Curaçao triple sec, is a variety of Curaçao liqueur, an orange-flavoured liqueur made from the dried peels of bitter and sweet orange....
and peachPeachThe peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
juice for the cranberry
External links
- Absolut Cosmopolitan – A higher proofProof (alcohol)Alcohol proof is a measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage. The term was originally used in the United Kingdom and was defined as 7/4 times the alcohol by volume . The UK now uses the abv standard instead of alcohol proof. In the United States, alcoholic proof is defined...
version of the recipe. - Cosmopolitan Cocktail – The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas
- Cosmopolitan Cockail recipe – Drink Lab recipe
- Cosmopolitan Recipe and a modern twist - A Cosmopolitan recipe made with normal vodka (non lemon) and Cointreau. Link also includes a modern twist on this cocktail - the Continental.