What is Cosmo?
The Cosmo is a stylish pink cocktail prepared using vodka, cranberry juice, triple sec, lime juice, and served in a martini glass
History of Cosmopolitan Drink
Cosmo was the signature cocktail in the 1990s for Carrie Bradshaw and her “Sex and the City” friends.
But before this time, it was loved by Madonna and many celebrities who lived in South Beach, New York, and San Francisco. It was one of the recipes for Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice bottles, also called the Harpoon during the 1960s.
Why is the Cosmopolitan drink famous?
Most people credit Cosmopolitan popularity to the 1980s when a bartender named Cheryl Cook—also referred to as “The Martini Queen of South Beach,” developed her tasty take on the cocktail. Cheryl Cook made some changes to this martini to make it more appealing visually and also famous with women. Her ingredients were Absolute Citron, rose lime, cranberry juice to give the drink a popular pink color, and some triple sec.
Dale DeGrodd (King Cocktail) tried this drink at Fog City Diner in San Francisco. Later, he modified it at the Rainbow Room using fresh lime juice, Cointreau, and flamed orange peel based on the story in the American Cocktail Museum in Georgetowner. This cocktail later became very popular when a picture of Madonna holding it during a Grammy party was taken.
The 1990s was the year of the famous v-glass, blushed drink. Arguably, nothing can beat the Cosmopolitan’s notoriety as a bad-ass classic in every bar in every state’s menu. Well, we meant that in a good way. So, you’re probably wondering, what is the secret behind Cosmo’s success? Simple— its years of perfection.
Recipes
1. Neal Murray
Neal Murray is one of the most popular Cosmopolitan drinks in the world. It was first made by Neal Murray, who was encouraged by his college mates when he was studying at the University of Minnesota in 1979. After he learned the top cocktail recipes, he realized a changing trend from gin to vodka and decided to try something new in 1975. He mixed Kamikaze and Cape Cod to the Gordons, cranberry, and lime to make a drink, which he poured to a cocktail glass. And when he was asked the name of this strained drink, he said, “Cosmopolitan.”
2. John Caine
At around 1987, John brought the Cosmopolitan drink to San Francisco. At the time, he was the owner of several bars in the area and a Cosmopolitan expert. Caine saw that the rise of this cocktail was a result of it being served at fern bars. He is credited for bringing the Cosmopolitan drink from Cleveland.
Also, he modified the version of Cosmopolitan, which was retailing at the time. At the time, Cosmo contained Finlandia cranberry. It was colored with this ingredient and was 70 proof. Caine, with the help of some waitresses, created a martini version of Cosmo using dried cranberry. This drink later becomes very popular in San Francisco and other areas.
3. Cheryl Cook
Cheryl cook is praised for her invention of the Cosmopolitan drink while she was a bartender at The Strand in Miami. She drew the inspiration from the Absolute Citron Vodka (1989), a dash of Rose lime, a splash of triple sec, and cranberry to make it pink.
She then helped Gary Farmer the owner of The Strand to name this new drink. Regularly, she served many celebrities, including Madonna and Sandra Bernhard.
4. Toby Cecchini
During the late 70s and early 80s, particularly in gay bars in San Francisco, the Cosmopolitan drink mainly consisted of Rose Grenadine and Rose Lime. The drink was first introduced to New York and Toby Cecchini, a bartender who reformulated this drink using Citron, cranberry juice, and other ingredients for making Margaritas. While he was doing it to impress the waitresses, this Cosmopolitan drink became famous.
Conclusion
Cosmopolitan drink, popularly known as “Cosmo” was one of the most popular drinks in the 1970s and 1980s. It dates back to the 1900s, and well, it’s one of the few drinks which we can date back to its creators. It has many recipes and remains one of the most popular vintage drinks, even in this century.