Cosmopolitan Cocktail

The Cosmopolitan cocktail is a drink made with citrus Vodka, orange liqueur, lime juice, and cranberry juice!

Cosmopolitan Cocktail Info

If you went to any bar or party in the late 1990s, chances are that most people would have a martini glass filled up with bright pink liquid called a Cosmopolitan. The Cosmo, one of the most popular cocktails of all time, is a great example of how fickle our alcohol culture can be. A drink that's wildly popular for a short period then becomes a joke that few people would dare order.

The Cosmopolitan cocktail was not just a drink of the moment; it had a profound impact on our drinking habits and the culture of cocktail making in general. The Cosmo's simplistic age can be seen in the simplicity of today's high-end cocktail culture.

Cosmopolitan Origin

It is not clear where the Cosmopolitan cocktail originated. This is due to the fact that there is an identical drink, but with a different name. A cocktail called the Daisy was created in the late nineteenth century. It was a tasty drink that could alter harsher alcohol flavors. The original recipe used spirit, sweetener, and citrus. This recipe is the same as the Cosmo. However, vodka was not a common spirit in these cocktails back then due to its taste. It's possible, however, that this tried and true drink structure is what gave rise to the Cosmo we know today.

The connection is also close to 1968 when Ocean Spray was looking for new ways to market their Cranberry Juice to Adults. Although the drink was well-received by children, marketing executives were keen to increase their market share. They printed a recipe on every carton of cranberry juice and called it the "Harpoon." It contained an ounce of vodka, an ounce of cranberry, and a squeeze of lime. This recipe is similar to that of Cosmopolitan but does not include the sweet Cointreau.

It is unclear who actually thought of mixing vodka, lime, Cointreau, cranberry, and then straining it into a martini glass.

The Odeon

The Odeon made the drink mainstream. The Odeon was a popular restaurant in Manhattan during the 1980s and 1990s. The Odeon was often the location for SNL cast parties. Celebrities, and models. It is the restaurant where Keith McNally, the owner of Balthazar, Pastis, & Minetta Tavern, was first introduced to it. Although the drink is no longer on the restaurant's menu, we were told that they will still make it if requested.

The drink was started at The Odeon and spread throughout the city. It eventually reached The Rainbow Room where Madonna was pictured enjoying it at a Grammy After-Party. Celebrities seem to have embraced the drink after Madonna's approval.

The Cosmopolitan Cocktail Catalyst

Sex and the City are responsible for many cultural phenomena, including our obsession with cupcakes and our search for amazing designer shoes and bags. But nothing has swept the country as quickly as the Cosmo due to this series. The Cosmo cocktail is introduced in episode 19 of Season 2. Samantha orders it at the wedding bar.

The backlash against the cocktail had already started by the time it reached rockstar status. Esquire described the Cosmopolitan as "Like Celebration in Florida (the Disney Town)," He also said that the drink had no workmanship. He said that there where no alchemy involved in this drink, just mixing.

Bartenders began to dislike the drink because it was too simple. They wanted to make the drink more complex.  These groups, just like the Cosmopolitan cocktail, would eventually lead to the cocktail's downfall.