🥃 Cosmopolitan
Modern classic cocktail of citrus vodka, orange liqueur Cointreau, lime juice and cranberry juice; pink, served in a large cocktail glass.
The Cosmopolitan is a cocktail of citrus vodka, Cointreau orange liqueur, fresh lime juice and cranberry juice. The cranberry gives it a light pink colour, and the lime its sourness. The International Bartenders Association (IBA) classes it as a modern classic. It is served in a large cocktail glass with a twist of lemon peel.
IBA recipe. 40 ml citrus vodka, 15 ml Cointreau, 15 ml fresh lime juice and 30 ml cranberry juice. Everything is shaken hard with ice in a shaker and strained into a chilled glass.
History. Its authorship is disputed. According to Difford’s Guide, Neil Murray mixed vodka, triple sec, cranberry and lime in Minnesota as early as 1975, and the drink later spread through bars in San Francisco. Cheryl Cook of The Strand bar in Miami made a version with Absolut Citron, which appeared in 1988. In New York, at the restaurant The Odeon, Melissa Gaffsmith and Toby Cecchini reworked the recipe with fresh lime and Cointreau. Back in 1934 a cocktail of the same name existed, made with gin and raspberry syrup.
Fame. Worldwide popularity came to the cocktail with the TV series “Sex and the City”, which began in 1998: its heroines constantly ordered “Cosmos”. Since then it has become a symbol of bar culture in the 1990s.
Why this matters to you. Cranberry juice and the pink colour do not make the cocktail weak: a serving made to the IBA recipe contains 40 ml of vodka and 15 ml of strong liqueur, together about 15 g of pure alcohol. The WHO reminds us: there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Raw material | citrus vodka, Cointreau, lime juice, cranberry juice (IBA recipe) |
|---|---|
| Alcohol (% vol.) | depends on proportions; vodka in the EU is at least 37.5% ABV, 40 ml per serving |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Cosmopolitan → affects → 🍷 Alcohol and health ← affects ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Made from
- 🍸 Flavoured vodka, 🥃 Absolut Citron, 🥃 Cointreau
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans
- Part of
- 🍸 Vodka
- Related to
- 🌍 North America
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Bloody Mary, 🥃 Caipirinha
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that the Cosmopolitan was invented for the TV series Sex and the City?
No. The cocktail existed at least from the 1980s; the series, which began in 1998, only made it world famous.
What is needed for a Cosmopolitan according to the IBA?
40 ml citrus vodka, 15 ml Cointreau, 15 ml fresh lime juice and 30 ml cranberry juice.
Who invented the Cosmopolitan?
It is not known for certain: Difford’s Guide mentions Neil Murray, Cheryl Cook from Miami, and Melissa Gaffsmith and Toby Cecchini from New York’s The Odeon.
Why is the Cosmopolitan pink?
Because of the cranberry juice; it is added in just the amount needed to give colour and a light tartness.
Which vodka is used for a Cosmopolitan?
According to the IBA, a citrus-flavoured vodka; the classic New York version used Absolut Citron.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🌍 North America — US and Canada: 9.5 million US cows gave 232 billion lb of milk (2025); Wisconsin makes a quarter of US cheese; Canada runs on dairy quotas.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans — The people of the United States in North America, descendants of settlers and Native peoples; their home-grown cheese is California's Monterey Jack.
- 🍸 Flavoured vodka — Vodka with a predominant flavour different from its raw material: EU category 31, 37.5% vol. or more, less than 100 g/l of sugar.
- 🥃 Bloody Mary — A classic cocktail of vodka and tomato juice with lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, celery salt and pepper; listed by the IBA as a contemporary classic.
Similar
🥃 Bloody Mary · 🥃 Espresso Martini · 🥃 Between the Sheets · 🥃 Cuba Libre · 🥃 Dry Martini · 🥃 Brandy Crusta
Sources
- IBA — International Bartenders Association: Cosmopolitan (Contemporary Classics): 40 ml vodka citron, 15 ml Cointreau, 15 ml fresh lime juice, 30 ml cranberry juice; shake, strain into large cocktail glass; lemon twist
- Difford's Guide: Cosmopolitan cocktail — history (Cheryl Cook, The Strand, Miami; Absolut Citron launched 1988; Neal Murray 1975; Melissa Huffsmith and Toby Cecchini, The Odeon, New York; 1934 gin version; Sex and the City, 1998)
- Difford's Guide: Toby Cecchini — began bartending at the Odeon, Manhattan, in 1987; credited with the internationally recognised version of the Cosmopolitan
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)