'Sex In The City' Made It A Star But The Cosmo Is Forever

What Mad Men did for the Old Fashioned, Sex and the City did for the Cosmopolitan. Based on Candace Bushnell’s newspaper column of the same, the HBO series chronicled the dating life of Carrie Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, whose penchant for the Cosmo made it a must-have cocktail. Part of the Gimlet family of drinks with vodka as its base liquor, its exact origins are up for debate, with 1970s Minneapolis and 1980s Miami each taking credit, yet it will forever be synonymous with the tonier parts of Manhattan, where Bradshaw went looking for love. Though once dismissed as a trendy indulgence, this cocktail is worth your time with its lighthearted mix of flash and buzz.  

Cosmopolitan Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz Vodka
• 1 oz Cranberry Juice
• 1/2 oz Orange Liqueur 
• 1/2 Freshly Lime Juice
• Lime Twist for Garnish

How To Make A Cosmopolitan 

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add vodka, cranberry juice, orange liqueur, and lime juice.
2. Shake vigorously until well-chilled.
3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass
4. Garnish with a lime twist.

Use a fine-mesh strainer to remove ice shards and achieve a crystal-clear presentation for your Cosmo.

Cosmo Riff:

For a fresh twist, replace lime juice with freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and add a rosemary sprig garnish. This offers a more herbal, citrus-forward take on the Cosmopolitan drink, making it more reminiscent of Taylor Swift's favorite cocktail, the French Blonde.