Kay:
According to my favorite cocktail guide, Meehan’s Bartender Guide, the Cosmopolitan was created by Tony Cecchini at Ocean in New York City in 1988. Then popularized again in mid 2000s when “Sex and the City” aired. Not exactly “vintage”, but it does prove that a classic combination of flavors can survive time.
Any bartender worth his weight can put together a great Cosmo. Mixing one at home can be a bit more challenging. So, for our treasured followers, we’ll each do a version. I made a couple of revisions to a recipe in Jim Meehan’s bartender guide. For my personal taste, I increased the amount of cranberry and simple syrup. I tried this out on my vodka loving friends with no complaints—in fact, they loved them.
Cosmopolitan I
2 oz Vodka
0.75 oz Cointreau
0.75 oz lime juice (fresh squeezed)
2 oz cranberry (100% juice unsweetened)
0.50 oz simple syrup
Granish: 1/2 orange wheel
Glass to use: Martini or Coupe ( Chilled, of course)
Place all ingredients in a shaker; add ice and shake. Strain into chilled glass. Garnish with 1/2 orange wheel.
SIDE BAR
Since we posted the recipe for a Venetian Spritz, I have come across the cocktail twice. The first was while flipping through the June 2018 issue of “Food & Wine” magazine. Oddly enough, it was referenced in an article about olives. The original garnish for a Venetian Spritz was a Castelvetrano olive. The orange slice came later. The second time was on an episode of a Food Network cooking show, The Barefoot Contessa starring Ina Garten. She showcased the Spritz at a dinner party. So be sure you try the Aperol, you won’t be sorry. Click here to read our original post.
Lynda:
Guess this means it’s my turn to give you a version of the Cosmopolitan. It seems to me that someone invented the Cosmopolitan so that 
Sarah Jessica Parker could have a pink drink in a martini glass but, according to Kay’s history, I guess SJP just made the drink popular with young, singles in the city. That said, here’s the one I made that I liked the best.
Cosmopolitan II
2 oz. Vodka
3/4 oz. Triple Sec
3/4 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
about 1/2 oz. agave syrup
2 oz. unsweetened 100% cranberry juice (none of the sweetened or cranberry juice cocktail)
2-3 dashes orange bitters
Put everything in a shaker, add ice, shake and strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with orange twist (optional).
Now, here’s my real favorite vodka, cranberry juice combination. We discovered the Red Rooster years ago in an Emeril Lagasse cookbook, Everyday’s a Party. He says it’s a Louisiana tradition for the holidays since you can mix them up and keep them in the freezer to serve when people drop in. And, they are great for that, but they’re killer as a refreshing adult slushy in the hot Texas summers.
Red Roosters
2 cups vodka (hint: tequila works, too)
64 oz. cranberry juice (you can use the 100% juice version sweetened with apple/grape juice or the kind
sweetened with sugar)
6 oz. frozen concentrated orange juice (since you almost never find a 6 ounce can of frozen oj, just cut a 12 ounce can in half and don’t dilute, just put the frozen concentrate in your cranberry, vodka mixture)
Combine in a jar or container you can put in your freezer. We have a treasured Vlasic pickle jar (the giant economy size) that works perfectly). Freeze overnight. The mixture won’t freeze solid but take it out of the freezer a few minutes before you want to serve it so you can scoop it out. We found these handy spoon straws that work well for scooping and sipping these refreshing frozen drinks.
No food this week y’all but we have a road-trip planned for next week so stay-tuned for more fun cocktails and tasty accompaniments.
