Cosmo Drink Ideas

The Cosmopolitan, brought to mass popularity in the late '90s as the favorite drink of the ladies on "Sex and the City," originated in San Francisco singles bars in the 1970s. It's juicy, tart blend of lime, citrus-infused vodka and cranberry juice was developed by bartenders who were looking for for a sweeter, more universally appealing take on the martini. Since the Cosmo's revival, there have been new variations of this now modern classic cocktail, playing off of it's adaptable ingredients and presentation. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Basic Cosmopolitan

Bartender and writer Rob Chirico suggests the following recipe for a basic Cosmopolitan: Pour 2 oz. of lemon-infused vodka, 1/2 oz. orange-flavored liquor (like triple sec), 3/4 oz. cranberry juice and a splash of lemon juice into a cocktail shaker. Shake for 20 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a twist of lemon. The Cosmo should be the color of pink lemonade, says Toby Cecchini, who helped popularize the cocktail in New York City in the '80s, with a frothy and opaque consistency. The edge of the glass can be rimmed with lime juice and sugar.

Blue Cosmopolitan

This blue-colored version of the Cosmo was, according to Chirico, created by the Boston Bartenders School of America and is best served very cold. Chill a martini glass in your freezer for five minutes. Shake 2 oz. blackberry flavored vodka, 1/2 oz. Blue Curacao, 1/2 oz. white cranberry juice, 1/2 oz. lime juice. Pour into the chilled martini glass and garnish with lemon peel. Serve immediately.

Cosmo Slush

This is a fun, sweeter way to make a Cosmopolitan in a large batch to serve at parties or to help you keep cool during the summer. The test kitchens at Betty Crocker came up with the following recipe: Place half a can of thawed limeade concentrate in a blender with 3 tbsp. of powdered sugar. Add two cups of lemon-flavored vodka and one cup orange juice or orange-flavored liqueur. Blend until completely mixed. Cover and freeze for at least eight hours. Stir and pour into martini glasses with an orange or lemon peel in the bottom of each glass.

The Stray Dog

New York Times columnist Pete Wells has his own twist on the Cosmopolitan that he calls The Stray Dog which makes use of the surprisingly complementary flavors of pomegranate and licorice. The recipe calls for pouring a splash of licorice-flavored liquor like Pernod or ouzo in a martini glass, stirring it around and pouring it out. Then pour into an iced shaker 1 1/2 oz. vodka, 1 tbsp. of orange liquor, 1 1/2 tsp. fresh lime juice and 1 oz. pomegranate juice. Shake and pour into the glass.