If you want to be Cosmopolitan
If you want to be Cosmopolitan, knowledge of the world is key. Or just order a colorful drink. That brings us to today: It’s national Cosmopolitan day. If you aren’t familiar with this classic cocktail, then you haven’t watched enough “Sex in the city” where the drink is so front and center, it borders on cliche. It looks like a true classic. But, surprisingly, the drink served today only dates back to the 1970’s with an upsurge in the ’90’s thanks, in part, to said TV show. Still, it’s far more than a sheik looking drink. The flavors are all classics in and of themselves. Vodka, Cointreau, Lime juice and Cranberry Juice. Combined, they make for a visual and taste experience to remember.
So, where did this classic come from? And, why wasn’t it always been around? It looks and sounds like it was invented alongside the Martini, which dates back to the 1860’s. And, it looks like something out of a 1950’s Madmen cocktail party. You could visualize June Cleaver and the ladies of Mayfield throwing back a few cosmos at their lady’s auxiliary guild meetings on Friday nights. That would explain the obliviousness to the exploits Eddie Haskel gets Wally and the Beave into. According to multiple sources, as with most drinks, there are multiple claims to the creation of this drink. Most credit it as coming from Provincetown, MA. However, the official recipe dates to 1980’s Miami. The big change in that one? Using Absolut Citron instead of Plain vodka. It sounds like semantics to me.
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If you want to be cosmopolitan, Drink lots of citrus?
It turns out I was right about feeling the drink predated those recent claims. Semantics plays a role in the obfuscation of the origins. In the 1930’s a comprehensive cocktail book compiling recipes from 1903 to 1933 included a “Cosmopolitan Daisy”: Gin, Cointreau, Lemon, and raspberry syrup. So, the claims that what we know as a Cosmopolitan came from Provincetown, MA make sense, since Cranberry juice is far more prevalent in that region. So, substituting Cranberry for raspberry makes sense. And, cranberry is a bit bitter, so, vodka would be a better choice than gin. Otherwise, drinkers will be puckering all night (and not for a kiss). The fact that the “daisy” version was already in print also makes the claim of a Minnesota Bartender that upon drinking his version, a patron proclaimed “how cosmopolitan” as the origin of the name less likely.
A bartender in Miami claims that martinis being big at the time inspired her to make a visually stunning drink in a martini glass. She wanted the citrus front and center. So, she used Absolut citron (a lemon vodka). This improvement on the drink stuck. While some use plain vodka. The preferred version is Lemon vodka. So, you have lemon vodka, orange Cointreau, Lemon, and cranberry (which is not citrus, but, does have some citric acid in it). It makes you wonder if this drink would have been popular with old time sailors looking to prevent scurvy. That would make a lot of sense, especially since the word cosmopolitan refers to exposure to and visitation of vast regions of the world. Cities Like Miami and New York are considered “Cosmopolitan” because people from all over the world visit and live there.
Will it lead to bad decisions?
While the Cosmopolitan is all about image, don’t forget, it is a cocktail. You may look suave drinking it. But, judgment is impaired. And, that may lead to unintended consequences and bad decisions, like this scene from Sex in the city. Samantha thinks she’s so erudite, sipping her cosmo in a posh New York bar. But, she meets an obviously lecherous man doing business with a huge credit risk of a business partner. The cosmo leads to bad decisions for all parties involved.
But, the drink doesn’t end with this fairy tale TV show. It’s a staple in bars and at major events all around the country, and beyond. Thanks to the TV show, it has a reputation as a “feminine” drink. But, that’s just wrong on so many levels. As these bartenders remind us, some “girly drinks” are far stronger than so called manly drinks. One of them, aptly points out, it’s not the drink that makes the man, it’s the man who makes the drink:
And, of course, there’s this classic. I know, we’ve shared it before, but it really gets to the heart of Manly vs girly drinks:
The moral of the story is, don’t judge a drink by its color. Another of the bartenders pointed out that Campari is pink. But, it’s bitter as anything. I wouldn’t call hat a “girly drink”. The same holds true for today’s drink. Remember, Cosmopolitan means “worldly”. Isn’t being worldly what separates ordinary from extraordinary? And, don’t most men strive to be a man of the world? So, make some better decisions and just drink your cosmo.
If you want to be Cosmopolitan, don’t judge your glassware.
Going back to that video, a couple of the bartenders talked about the ridiculousness of the “gender” of glassware. And, they are spot on. Take a look at older movies and look at the culture of people like Frank Sinatra, the rat pack, and other manly men in the Wake and aftermath of WWII. What are they drinking? martinis and other cocktails in shapely glasses. Let’s not forget James Bond with his shaken, not stirred martinis. For centuries, people have designed glassware to complement a drink. Each serves a purpose. Champagne flutes keep the bubbles in the drink. Brandy snifters allow the liquor to air out, but the smaller top holds in the aroma to enhance the experience. And, then there’s the martini glass, which is what cosmos are served in.
The shape of the glass serves a purpose. The wide opening at the top allows the aroma to enhance. the narrow base allows the flavors to intensify. And, the sloping sides help prevent the ingredients from separating. It’s hard to believe such an engineering feat comes from something as simple as a glass. But, there you have it. To everything, there is a reason. So, stop judging, and start enjoying. We recently shared a post about Red hat society day. The society is women of a certain age who don’t care what people think of them. They will be who they want. Take their example, and don’t worry about the “gender” of your glassware. Drink your cosmo and enjoy life!
Do you really need a recipe?
We are big proponents of experimenting. So, when we give you a recipe, we expected it to be a guideline. Anyone who tells you they have the “perfect” recipe doesn’t know that we all have different tastes. And, our tastes change with age. The basic recipe for a cosmopolitan is:
Classic Cosmopolitan
Ingredients
- 2 oz Lemon Vodka
- 1 oz Cointreau or other orange liqueur
- 1 oz Cranberry Juice
- 1 oz Lime Juice
- 1 each orange twist
Instructions
- Mix all liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with an orange twist
But, we encourage you to play with the recipe a bit. Try different flavored vodkas. This one uses Lemon vodka. You can use plain if that’s what you have on hand. Or, how about vanilla or another fruit vodka? Maybe you could substitute the vodka with another liquor. Remember, the original Cosmopolitan daisy used gin. Or, you could make a Mexican version with tequila.
And, how about substituting the other flavors? Cointreau is a brand name for an orange liqueur. Patron makes one too. And, of course, Grand Marnier is a step up (and one of our favorites). Or you could really change things up with a different flavor liqueur all together, like Chambord. Then, there are the juices: The original used a raspberry syrup, where we use cranberry today. try Pomegranate, Blood orange, cherry, or a number of berry juices for the color. And, don’t forget, you can switch out your citrus too We used lime in the classic. but, lemon, grapefruit, pomello, tangerine, yuzu, or more are good substitutes that will drastically change the drink. But, remember, it’s a cosmopolitan. It encapsulates the tastes of the world. So, why not make it a worldly cocktail?
Cheers!
PS: if you’re not a fan of cocktails, today is also Homebrew day. Check out our post about that.