Sour · 1987
Cosmopolitan
A vodka sour with cranberry and orange liqueur. Better than its reputation.
Specification
| Citron vodka | 45 ml |
| Cointreau | 20 ml |
| Fresh lime juice | 15 ml |
| Cranberry juice | 30 ml |
| Orange twist, flamed | 1 |
Method
- 01Shake everything hard with ice for 12 seconds.
- 02Double strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass.
- 03Express an orange twist over the surface.
- 04Serve while the glass is still frosted.
Where it comes from
Popularised by Toby Cecchini in New York in 1987 and then buried under a decade of television jokes. Made with fresh lime and real cranberry rather than sweetened cordial, it is a properly balanced modern classic.
If you change one thing: Use unsweetened cranberry, not the juice-drink version. The cordial is what made the 1990s Cosmo taste like a boiled sweet.