Citrus, bright fruit, lime
Sporting good acidity, the Cosmo is surprisingly revitalizing with Asian cuisine or spicy foods.
In 1968, Ocean Spray created a drink called the Harpoon. It consisted of vodka, cranberry juice, and lime. The story goes that Dale DeGroff improved upon this recipe—the combo was in the zeitgeist already as the Kamikaze shot (vodka, triple sec, lime)—and served it to Madonna at the Rainbow Room. His version, published in New York magazine in 1994, became all the rage and is the version you see here. The sweet pink drink was überpopularized by the show Sex and the City. Made correctly, the cocktail is actually quite balanced.
1½ ounces (45 ml) citron vodka (Stolichnaya Citros or Absolut Citron)
½ ounce (15 ml) Cointreau
1 ounce (30 ml) cranberry juice
¼ ounce (7 ml) fresh lime juice
Dash of orange bitters (Regans’)
Lime wheel, for garnish
Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lime wheel on the edge of the glass.