Cosmopolitan (cocktail)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| This drink is designated as an IBA Official Cocktail |
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| Cosmopolitan | |
 A Cosmopolitan.
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| Type: | Cocktail |
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| Primary alcohol by volume: | |
| Served: | "Straight up"; without ice |
| Standard garnish: | Lemon slice |
| Standard drinkware: |
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| IBA specified ingredients†: |
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| Preparation: | Add all ingredients into cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into large cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon slice. |
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.
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[edit] History
This origins of the Cosmopolitan are somewhat disputed. According to the International Bartenders Association the original recipe is based on Absolut Citron.
Most sources credit South Beach, Florida bartender Cheryl Cook with the original creation.[1] In an online interview,[2] Cheryl Cook states 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 pallet 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."[2]
The next person involved in the creation of the drink was Toby Cecchini[2][3] of Manhattan. While working at The Odeon in 1987/1988, Cecchini worked from a poorly described version of the Cook's original drink, and developed a slightly different version using Cointreau and fresh-squeezed lime juice. Cecchini's version has become the common standard method for preparing the drink.[4]
An alternate account names the creator as Neal Murray of the Cork & Cleaver steakhouse in Minneapolis in 1975.[5]
The Cosmopolitan gained popularity fairly quickly, traveling from Miami to San Francisco, to New York.[2] It really gained in popularity in the 1990s, and was further popularized among young women by its frequent mention on the the television program Sex and the City.
[edit] Preparation and serving
The Cosmopolitan is usually served in a large cocktail glass, also called martini glasses. For this reason, the drink is sometimes mistakenly categorized as a type of martini.
Using high-quality vodka and Cointreau or Triple Sec with pure cranberry juice will result in a clean-tasting drink.
A wedge of lemon or lime, or a twist of orange or lemon peel, are commonly used to garnish.
[edit] 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 version calls for Rose's lime cordial instead of fresh lime juice, and Triple Sec instead of Cointreau.
- Sour mix may be substituted for either type of lime juice.
[edit] Popular culture
- An online animated game enables you to practice mixing a Cosmopolitan (with humorous results). The game developers report the "game currently gets approximately 6,000 unique visits per day".
- Demeter Fragrance Library has created a cologne intended to smell like the Cosmopolitan cocktail.
- Favoured by Sarah Jessica Parker's Sex and the City character, Colomnist Carrie Bradshaw most commonly oreders cosmos 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?'.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Schwartz, Arthur. "The Frustrated Bartender" (June 30, 1999). The Food Maven Diary. Retrieved December 31, 2006
- ^ a b c d Regan, Gary and Mardee Haidin Regan. The Birth of the Cosmopolitan: A Tale of Two Bartenders (October 2006) Ardent Spirits e-letter Vol. 7, Issue 6. Retrieved December 31, 2006
- ^ Cecchini, Toby. "Cosmopolitan: A Bartender's Life". New York: Broadway, 2003.
- ^ International Bartenders Association Official Cocktail recipe. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
- ^ Best of the Twin Cities 2006. "Best Locally Created Cocktail". CityPages.com. Retrieved December 31, 2006
[edit] External links
- Absolut Cosmopolitan - A higher proof version of the recipe.
- Cosmopolitan preparation(in Spanish)
- "Art of the Drink: Cosmopolitan" - A video tutorial on how to make a Cosmopolitan. (Hosted at AOTDBlog.com)
