Cosmopolitan
by Caroline O'Neil
Don't let the girly pink colour scare you away. The Cosmopolitan, or informally known as a Cosmo, is a relatively new cocktail that was created in 1985. The Cosmo has become very popular in recent years with the help of one of my favourite shows Sex and the City. Since the Cosmo was mentioned so many times on the show, I decided to give it a try. The Cosmo is made with Vodka, Cointreau or Triple Sec, cranberry juice, fresh-squeezed lime juice and is served in a martini glass. Personally, I have still not learned to appreciate a real martini because the alcohol is too overpowering for my taste buds. I need to have something mixed in with it to help tone down the alcohol. I still remember the first time I tried a martini because it left my hair standing on end. I will simply sit back and admire James Bond as he sips his "shaken, not stirred" martini. I do not have the palate for the traditional martini so I have explored the alternatives. There are so many different flavoured martinis out there to try, but the Cosmo is definitely at the top of my list.
I certainly enjoy a good Cosmo, but I like it even more because the cranberry juice found in the Cosmo has been shown to have health benefits. Cranberries are a healthy fruit that are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, fibre and antioxidants. Antioxidants are dietary substances that help prevent or fix damage to your cells. Researchers have shown that cranberry juice plays a significant role in preventing urinary tract infections and helps reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, ulcers and gum disease. Remember that the best cranberry juice should be 100% juice with no preservatives, artificial flavours or colours. Please remember that it is the cranberry juice in the Cosmo that has health benefits and not the Cosmo itself. I wouldn't want anyone going out and start drinking buckets of Cosmos.
Cosmopolitan
1½ oz Vodka
¾ oz Cointreau or Triple Sec
¾ oz Cranberry juice
½ oz fresh lime juice
Pour the vodka, Cointreau or Triple Sec, cranberry juice and lime juice into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well, strain into a martini glass, garnish with a lime slice and serve.
Now should we follow 007 and shake the martini or should it be stirred?
There are many theories why James Bond may have ordered his martini "shaken, not stirred". Shaking the martini with ice definitely makes the drink colder than if it was stirred. Darcy has already explained the importance of ice in cocktails. Some believe that stirring a martini diminishes it's flavour but others think that shaking it can bruise the gin or vodka. Interestingly, scientists in my backyard at the University of Western Ontario completed a study showing that shaken (not stirred) martinis had a higher antioxidant potential. Again antioxidants have been shown to be important for preventing diseases.
The desired appearance of the martini must also be taken into consideration. The shaken martinis tend to be cloudier than stirred martinis because small fragments of ice are introduced while shaking. As you can see, there are a lot of things to consider when making a martini. With a Cosmopolitan you definitely want to shake it to get the bright pink colour. That's part of the appeal of this drink.
 
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11 Comments on Cosmopolitan
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thanks for the "antioxidant" info. I need to find out more about that one!
I've been a martini drinker for years but I only recently started appreciating the shaken one. The glacier effect is quite nice when the small cubes are used and a light layer of ice residue is left at the top. I still do the traditional stirring thing when a customer orders a standard martini, but I'm not offended by the shaken martini any more. It's nice to relax these traditions a little, don't you think?
Caroline, next time you're making a Cosmo trying adding a few dashes of orange bitters (Fees ideally) - they add a nice little extra something to the drink.
Hi Darcy and Caroline,
I'm in the middle of watching the SEX series in attempt to find the episode where the Cosmo was first seen/ordered. I'll let you know my findings.
Cheryl
It took me a while to figure out that Darcy didn't just admit Sex and the City was his favorite show!
Good writeup on Cosmo's and interesting info on the Shaken/Stirred debate.
If you want to try another tasty martini go for a Cantelope one. 3 parts Stoli Vanilla, 1 part Watermelon Pucker, and 1-2 parts OJ. The end result looks and tastes just like a Cantalope!
I'm a new subscriber, longtime cocktail/martini fan. I prefer vodka drinks, particularly ones that rely on the flavor of vodka (such as a vodka martini) shaken, since I think it makes the coldness from the ice penetrate more - which is wonderful. I believe shaking only "bruises" gin. I'm thinking that James Bond's drink was properly a "Vespa" (see Casino Royale) and was 1/2 gin, 1/2 vodka with Lillet.
PS - I'm very happy to find this blog! Thanks for your great work.
I've over-read that Caroline has written the post - so I was wondering...
Yes a Cosmopolitan is not a bad drink (of the relative new popular mixed drinks it is even one of the best) - however I would stick with Dale deGroff - he initially used citrus flavored vodka which is working very good. Then I would reduce the amount of lime and cranberry, as the Cosmopolitan is known as "female-martini-substitute"...
And please do not call it Martini! A martini consist of Gin and Vermouth (and if we are stretching the topic it could also have some bitters in and MAYBE vodka) - there is no way to put any juices, any liqueurs in a Martini! Fruit Martinis are no Martinis (why don't you call them Neo'tinis or something)!
Ok the cocktail glass became a Martini glass as the Whiskey Tumbler or rock glass became an Old Fashioned glass or a long drink glass became a highball glass - though we don't call a whiskey sour old fashioned (only because of the glass)???
Thanks for the recipe for the Cosmopolitan. I will have to try it one of these days, I haven't really been able to master mixing my own drinks. I can never seem to get it right. But recently I just discovered a new drink called Metropolitan Martinis. A friend of mine had some at her party. It's like a ready to drink martini. She didn't have to do anything really. I am quite picky about the taste of my drinks, but this one didn't disappoint. I thought I would just share, I for one enjoy seeing what they are coming up with these days.
Cheers.
i assume james bond shook his martini , to dilute the mix, due to shaking with all that ice. Which in turn helps him stay sober, or at least more sober compared to skulling stirred martinis ..
Just to get it straight, James Bond's cocktail (indeed named the Vespa, after the original Bond Girl) was two parts gin to one part vodka with half an ounce of Lillet. Most modern attempts at recreating this drink fall short, regardless of how precisely the orginal recipe is followed. This is because the Lillet used in the original drink was Kina Lillet, which had a fair amount of quinine in it (the primary ingredient used in tonic water). My colleagues and I have come close by sourcing some Chinchoa powder (the bark from the Chinchoa tree, which is what quinine is derived from) and adding a pinch of this to the mix. The result is extremely gratifying. The sweetness of the Lillet with the bitter punch of the Chinchoa add an amazing complexity to the drink. Cheers.
correction: the Vesper calls for THREE parts gin to one part vodka. my apologies.
A Cosmo is NOT a Martini! A Martini is gin and vermouth (or vodka IFF* you insist). What makes some other drink a "martini" for you? the glass? the presence of a white liquor? 'Nuff said.
There's a wide range of evil drinks that call themselves Cosmopolitans. I've had Cosmos in otherwise reputable bars that I couldn't even swallow, usually for overwhelming sweetness. But I was hooked on them when I tried Stirring's mix. At $10/qt here it's a bit pricey, so I've tried to clone it. Here's what I have so far (using the ingredients on the mix):
Combine and shake until very cold and a bit frothy. Pour into a cold martini-style glass. I like my glass rimmed with lime juice and sugar, but some don't.
Be aware that different brands of 100% cranberry juice have different tastes. One I like; another is almost bitter; a third is so expensive I haven't tried it yet. If the juice is too forward, adjust the water. Also be aware that key limes have a significantly different taste from regular limes.
* IFF means "if and only if" in formal logic.