Get "Carried" Away... The Cosmopolitan

I've just received an email from my Mum telling me that she had the pleasure of drinking  a Cosmopolitan in Thailand for only $3.50, and it got me thinking about this cocktail. It's now considered as a classic. You can order it so easily, anywhere in the world. In my previous posts I've talked about the historical significances of cocktails which were created hundreds of years ago and how they have stood the test of time and are still served the same way today. In the history of cocktails, the cosmopolitan is a baby, a rookie, but I can't think of a cocktail that is more popular in modern times than the "Cosmo". This drink has reached such a status, by where, you don't even need to feature this drink on your cocktail menu, the ladies will still order it time and time again.  So why is this drink so well known?  How come it is ordered by hundreds of women all over the world every single day?  The answer is simple.... 4 words... "Sex and the City". Not since James Bond ordering a martini "Shaken not stirred" has another TV show or movie had such an influence over the popularity of 1 drink. But the Cosmopolitan had been around for decades before "Sex and the city" ever went to air. So how did it come about?

 Like most cocktails, there are many different stories but the one that I've heard most often is that the "Cosmo" was created some time in the 1970s in San Francisco. It was considered an icon amongst the gay community at the time. A bar owner in San Francisco called John Caine was said to be the inventor. Although there is no proof that Caine was the creator of the cosmopolitan, he is said to be the first owner to feature the cocktail on his menu's. Due to the enormous popularity of the "Cosmo" in San Francisco, the word spread throughout America and in particular New york city in the early 1990s.  The drink kept on gaining popularity and was featured in almost every New York Bar. It exploded on to the world stage in 1998, when the hit TV show "Sex and the City" hit screens. I don't even think Carrie Bradshaw and her friends would know how much influence that they were about to have on the bar industry.  Just like the TV show, the cosmopolitan became a world wide sensation. Sometimes no matter how many fancy cocktails you may present to a group of ladies, they always come back to the modern classic, "The Cosmopolitan"

OK... I've gone over It's origins, now lets make one.  This drink is so simple, start with a cocktail shaker. Add 30ml of lime juice, 30ml of Cointreau (or triple sec), 30ml of Vodka (If you can get your hands on a citrus flavoured vodka, even better) and lastly top up with 30ml of Cranberry juice (Add more juice if you don't want it too strong) and that's it! Add ice to your shaker and shake well. Strain this mixture into a chilled martini glass and you got yourself a "Cosmo". It should turn out glowing pink.

As you can see, this drink only has 4 ingredients, all equal parts. If your having a bunch of girls over for a drink, i suggest make a cosmopolitan punch. Just make the same mixture but in bulk. It's sure to be a crowd pleaser. So get "Carried" away with the Cosmopolitan. Have Fun!

In a shaker:
30ml Vodka
30ml Cointreau
30ml Lime Juice
30ml Cranberry juice
Add ice and shake
Strain into a Martini glass