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CALL 03333 44 77 65
OR REQUEST A QUOTE

17A KINGSLAND ROAD, LONDON E2 8AA

"Cosmos may be perceived as girly drinks, but in the 21st century that kind of antiquated opinion doesn’t really hold water.."

How to make ...

Cosmopolitan

The classic mixture of vodka, lime juice, cranberry and triple sec is world-famous thanks to its starring role in Sex and The City and has more than enough balance and flavour to live up to its hype.

Method

Chill a martini glass/coupette in the freezer or fill it with ice.

Take your Boston glass or small tin and, using your jigger to measure, add the vodka, triple sec and cranberry juice to the shaker.

Using your Mexican elbow and your jigger to measure, squeeze 25ml of lime juice and add it to the shaker.

Fill your shaker with cubed ice and seal using your Boston tin or lid, before shaking vigorously for 10-15 seconds or until your tin is very cold.

Remove your glass from the freezer or empty it of ice if necessary.

Using your Hawthorne strainer and your fine strainer, double strain the cocktail into your chilled martini glass or coupette.

Take a thick piece of orange peel and pinch it, skin-side facing out, over the flame of your lighter to create a sparkly effect.

Serve and enjoy!

History

Like so many famous classics the Cosmopolitan’s history is muddy and seeped in speculation. Some accounts state that the drink was first created as part of a marketing ploy by Absolut vodka to sell their new ‘Absolut Citron’, lemon-flavoured vodka. Hoping to market the spirit primarily to women, Absolut approached female bartenders in Miami enlisting them to create a girly cocktail featuring the product. In the mid 1980’s they came across bartender Cheryl Cook, who was working the stick at South Beach’s Strand Restaurant. Of her creation of the drink Cook remarked:

“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.”

Cook’s original recipe called for Rose’s lime cordial rather than fresh lime juice. When the drink eventually made its way to New York, the recipe was tweaked by celebrated bartender Toby Cecchini who first introduced fresh lime and created the version most widely drunk today.

The Cosmopolitan also bears a striking resemblance to a much older cocktail of the same name which was featured in Charles Christopher Murphy’s 1934 edition of Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars. Murphy’s recipe calls for 3 parts gin, 1 part triple sec, 2 parts lemon juice and a dash of raspberry syrup. This drink is a twist on a classic Daisy and would certainly have resembled the modern Cosmo both in colour and taste.

There are many conflicting accounts of how the Cosmopolitan came into existence.As well as the stories behind this drink which we’ve already mentioned, there are a number of claims to the cocktail’s creation. One account credits the Cosmo’s popularity to the gay community of Provincetown, Massachusetts. Yet another claim to this drink is attributed to bartender, Neal Murray, who suggests that he invented the drink while working at Minneapolis steakhouse Cork & Cleaver in 1975. Apparently, Murray created the drink when he added a splash of cranberry juice to a ‘Kamikaze’ and upon first taste, a customer declared: “How Cosmopolitan” which supposedly led to the cocktail’s name. These are just a few of the many contradictory stories surrounding the Cosmopolitan’s invention and no one is sure of how exactly this cocktail came into being but despite that, the Cosmo is a world renowned and ever-popular drink.

The Cosmopolita bears a striking resemblance to a much older cocktail of the same name which was featured in Charles Christopher Murphy’s 1934 edition of Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars. Murphy’s recipe calls for 3 parts gin, 1 part triple sec, 2 parts lemon juice and a dash of raspberry syrup. This drink is a twist on a classic Daisy and would certainly have resembled the modern Cosmo both in colour and taste.

Allergens
No common allergens to be found, although, since every body is different, we advise you check out this recipe's ingredients list just to be sure!
Ingredients

40ml Citron Vodka

15ml Triple Sec

25ml Lime Juice

15ml Cranberry Juice

Flamed Orange Peel to Garnish

Times:

Prep: 2 Minutes

Make: 30 Seconds

Total: 2 Minutes and 30 Seconds

Calories:

146 calories

Servings:

Serves 1

Method

Chill a martini glass/coupette in the freezer or fill it with ice.

Take your Boston glass or small tin and, using your jigger to measure, add the vodka, triple sec and cranberry juice to the shaker.

Using your Mexican elbow and your jigger to measure, squeeze 25ml of lime juice and add it to the shaker.

Fill your shaker with cubed ice and seal using your Boston tin or lid, before shaking vigorously for 10-15 seconds or until your tin is very cold.

Remove your glass from the freezer or empty it of ice if necessary.

Using your Hawthorne strainer and your fine strainer, double strain the cocktail into your chilled martini glass or coupette.

Take a thick piece of orange peel and pinch it, skin-side facing out, over the flame of your lighter to create a sparkly effect.

Serve and enjoy!

History

Like so many famous classics the Cosmopolitan’s history is muddy and seeped in speculation. Some accounts state that the drink was first created as part of a marketing ploy by Absolut vodka to sell their new ‘Absolut Citron’, lemon-flavoured vodka. Hoping to market the spirit primarily to women, Absolut approached female bartenders in Miami enlisting them to create a girly cocktail featuring the product. In the mid 1980’s they came across bartender Cheryl Cook, who was working the stick at South Beach’s Strand Restaurant. Of her creation of the drink Cook remarked:

“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.”

Cook’s original recipe called for Rose’s lime cordial rather than fresh lime juice. When the drink eventually made its way to New York, the recipe was tweaked by celebrated bartender Toby Cecchini who first introduced fresh lime and created the version most widely drunk today.

The Cosmopolitan also bears a striking resemblance to a much older cocktail of the same name which was featured in Charles Christopher Murphy’s 1934 edition of Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars. Murphy’s recipe calls for 3 parts gin, 1 part triple sec, 2 parts lemon juice and a dash of raspberry syrup. This drink is a twist on a classic Daisy and would certainly have resembled the modern Cosmo both in colour and taste.

There are many conflicting accounts of how the Cosmopolitan came into existence.As well as the stories behind this drink which we’ve already mentioned, there are a number of claims to the cocktail’s creation. One account credits the Cosmo’s popularity to the gay community of Provincetown, Massachusetts. Yet another claim to this drink is attributed to bartender, Neal Murray, who suggests that he invented the drink while working at Minneapolis steakhouse Cork & Cleaver in 1975. Apparently, Murray created the drink when he added a splash of cranberry juice to a ‘Kamikaze’ and upon first taste, a customer declared: “How Cosmopolitan” which supposedly led to the cocktail’s name. These are just a few of the many contradictory stories surrounding the Cosmopolitan’s invention and no one is sure of how exactly this cocktail came into being but despite that, the Cosmo is a world renowned and ever-popular drink.

The Cosmopolita bears a striking resemblance to a much older cocktail of the same name which was featured in Charles Christopher Murphy’s 1934 edition of Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars. Murphy’s recipe calls for 3 parts gin, 1 part triple sec, 2 parts lemon juice and a dash of raspberry syrup. This drink is a twist on a classic Daisy and would certainly have resembled the modern Cosmo both in colour and taste.

Allergens
No common allergens to be found, although, since every body is different, we advise you check out this recipe's ingredients list just to be sure!
Recommended

This classic, Daisy-style drink grew to notoriety in the 90’s thanks to its prominence in Sex And The City, but this dry, balanced vodka cocktail predates the HBO series by at least 20 years and may even have origins as far back as the 1930’s.

Cosmos may be perceived as girly drinks, but in the 21st century that kind of antiquated opinion doesn’t really hold water, it may be pink, but the Cosmo is a subtly flavoured and well thought out cocktail. A sharp, dry mixture of cranberry, lime and vodka with a gentle touch of sweet orange liqueur, this drink is classy and moreish. Finished with a flamed orange the Cosmopolitan looks as good as it tastes and is always a favourite with guests of all kinds.

Whilst it is served straight-up, similar to a lot of Martini and sour style cocktails, the addition of cranberry and lime mean the Cosmopolitan is not too strong and works perfectly alongside other more alcohol-heavy cocktails. This could be a great cocktail for those creating a classically styled menu featuring drinks like the Corpse Reviver No.2.

If you’re interested in featuring a Cosmopolitan on your menu and want to know more about what cocktails might work well alongside it be sure to speak to your event organiser regarding your options or check out some other vodka based, fruit flavoured and classic style cocktails from our list.

Video Transcription

Hi, guys. Sasā here from TT Liquor. Today we’re going to show you how to make a delicious Cosmopolitan. We teamed up with Sapling, which is a really cool brand from England. They plant trees, hence the name Sapling, very sustainable company, and they make a delicious vodka. In the video, you’re going to see how to make that classic drink, step by step.

 

All right, guys, it’s Kay back here at TT Liquor. And today, I’m going to be showing you how to make a Cosmo or a Cosmopolitan, real classic vodka cocktail. 

 

Just going to fill that with some crushed ice and pop it to one side to let it chill.

 

And the first ingredient that we need for a Cosmo, very importantly, is some vodka. We’re using this lovely Sapling vodka, which is as good for the environment as it is to drink. Now, we want 35ml of our vodka.

 

Next thing going in here is going to be some triple sec, and we want about 15ml of our Cointreau.

 

Next thing in here to give our Cosmo, its distinct pinky colour is going to be some cranberry juice. And just like the triple sec, we want about 15ml of our cranberry juice.

 

Now I want 25ml or about a shot of my lime juice, and squeeze the juice right into here. Pop that in there with my other ingredients.

 

Now I’m just going to go ahead and fill this tin up with cubed ice, whack my other tin on top at a bit of an angle. And we give this a shake for around about 15 to 20 seconds, here we go.

 

Beautiful, so we’ll crack that open. I’ll get rid of the ice in my Nick & Nora glass here, give that a little shake to get rid of any excess water. I’m going to double strain this cocktail. So I’m going take my hawthorn strainer, pop it in the tin and then grab my fine mesh strainer and just hold that over the glass and pour the drink through both.

 

And finally, for a garnish on our Cosmo, we want a nice little bit of orange peel. So I’ve got an orange here. We’ll give this a little twist over the top of the drink just to expel some of those oils. And I’ll rub it around the rim of the glass as well. We’ll pop that in there, and that is our Cosmo ready to drink