The Cosmopolitan: Perfect Cocktail Chemistry

The Cosmopolitan is a classic pinkish cocktail that combines the bitterness of cranberry juice with a sweet liqueur and vodka that can either begin, or end, a night out in style.

While I like to experiment with various cocktails when my wife and I decide we want a few drinks, our two children usually do not allow for such things. They stay up late and I usually have a hard time deciding which drink to concoct. It's not just that I want to try different drinks, I enjoy the whole chemistry and process of preparing different cocktails. Sometimes, the experiment fails, but in mixology even failures can be a good thing.

However, while I pour over (no pun intended) recipe books and Web sites seeking that perfect recipe, my wife will nearly always say, "Why don't you just make a cosmo while you think about it?"

I do, and then the deliciousness of the drink takes over and I forget about making anything else that night. The really good thing about this Cosmopolitan recipe is that it's a drink you can have to enjoy and loosen up, but it's not likely to make you crazy drunk. Before you get to that point, your stomach will rebel from all the cranberry juice being forced into it, rather than from the alcohol.

This is the recipe we like to use, which makes just a little more than two drinks each time.

2 oz. vodka (we use whatever's on hand, but other recipes call for citron vodka)

1 oz. of triple sec

4 ounces of cranberry juice

Splash of lime juice (the ReaLime juice works just as well)

Fill a drink shaker with ice and pour in all the ingredients. Shake well. Strain into a cocktail glass. We prefer the stemless martini glasses, but one with a stem is perfectly fine. You should use a lime wedge as a garnish, as well as an orange twist in the drink. However, I usually skip such formalities and just start enjoying the inherent goodness of the drink.

By the way, if you need another reason to drink a Cosmopolitan, cranberry juice has many healthful benefits, including protection against cancer and heart disease. Try to use brands that offer 100 percent cranberry juice.

Sources:

Stuart Walton, "The Ultimate Book of Cocktails."

Drinxx Playing Cards

www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmopolitan_(cocktail)