How the signature cocktail of ‘Sex and the City’ got sexier than ever

Summary
The Cosmopolitan is back in a big way. At a new Manhattan club, a floral spritz and other judicious additions give the blush-pink drink a major glow-up. Plus: How to make it at home.Want to feel old? The Cosmopolitan cocktail—that blush-pink symbol of sybaritic urban sophistication, thanks to many appearances on the series “Sex and the City"—is almost 40.
The drink was invented in the late 1980s at Manhattan’s Odeon by a young bartender named Toby Cecchini. (He’s now a veteran bar owner who runs Long Island Bar in Brooklyn.) It has remained relevant over the decades, even enjoying a comeback in recent years as bartenders have created riffs on it—liquid tributes that use the drink as a jumping-off point.
Despite the Cosmopolitan’s decadeslong celebrity, not until now has its birthplace, Manhattan, boasted a club named after the cocktail. Cosmo opened in a basement space beneath the restaurant Ainslie Bowery in December. The decor is appropriately rosy in hue. The bar menu, created by Jessica Duré and Naeem Lama, begins, as it should, with the house Cosmopolitan, known here as “The Cosmo."
When asked about the cocktail’s durability, Duré said, “I think, bare bones, it’s very well-balanced. When made correctly, it’s very dry and ‘poundable,’ for lack of a better term. And it’s just stylish."
A Respectful Redo
Duré and Lama wanted to make the drink their own but also honor its classical design. The original recipe calls for lemon-flavored vodka, Cointreau, lime juice and cranberry juice. But the formula, like Carrie Bradshaw, has cycled through many outfit changes.
“I feel like everyone has had a version of a Cosmo, or their parents had their version of a Cosmo," said Lama. “I wanted to respect that, because a Cosmo has a very definitive look. How do we alter something just a little bit, just to make it stand out?"
To execute that delicate trick of simultaneous homage and invention, Lama looked to the liqueur. Instead of the usual Cointreau, he created a house orange-liqueur blend of equal parts Cointreau, Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao and Mandarine Napoléon. The last one is the wild card. Unlike the other two, traditional orange liqueurs in the mix, it’s derived from mandarin oranges, which give it a slightly sweeter and brighter taste.
“I think it livens the whole thing up," said Lama. “For me, the star of the blend is the Napoléon." Because of this blend of orange liqueurs, Lama decided to use plain old Grey Goose rather than a lemon-flavored vodka. “I wanted the triple sec to shine more," he explained.
Nothing But Flowers
Another addition that sets Cosmo’s Cosmo apart from other pink drinks: orange flower water, a delicate potion primarily associated, in cocktail circles, with the Ramos Gin Fizz, a New Orleans classic. Here it’s sprayed by way of an atomizer into the cocktail glass before the rest of the mixture goes in.
To Lama, the misting of orange flower water ties all the other citrus elements together. “We have this triple sec with the citrus note, and we have the bitterness of the cranberry. What is going to make that bridge?" he said. “With a lot of Cosmos, you tend to lose the nose because the lime overpowers it. I wanted to change that." (He’s not alone. A Cosmo made with orange flower water has arrived on the menu at Ty Bar in the newly reopened Four Seasons Hotel New York on E. 57th Street.)
Lama uses an atomizer to spritz the cocktail glass with orange flower water.
Cosmo’s Cosmo further stands out because of its garnish, a sprig of baby’s breath bound by a twist of lime peel. Lama thinks the cocktail deserves that flourish: “As Miley Cyrus would say, I can buy myself flowers."
Get It Down Cold
Matching Cosmo’s Cosmo at home is relatively easy. Add the vodka, lime juice and cranberry cocktail to your grocery list, if they aren’t in your pantry already.
When it comes to the orange liqueur, attempting Cosmo’s fancy mixture is entirely up to you. Purchasing three bottles represents a considerable expenditure. But the taste of Mandarine Napoléon really will bring something singular and fresh to your Cosmopolitan. And remember, you can opt for smaller, 375-ml bottles of Cointreau and Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao, thus cutting back on the cost.
You can find orange flower water at most large grocery stores. Atomizers made for bar use come in all shapes and sizes, but very few cost more than $10. The model recommended below, affordable and functional as well as sleekly designed, makes a smart addition to any bar.
The stylish gizmo will certainly earn its keep. Use it for the delicate application of powerfully flavored liqueurs like absinthe, in a Sazerac, for example; if you’re the super-dry Martini type, it dispenses just the right whisper of vermouth. When it comes to the Cosmo in particular, a deft spritz from such an elegant tool delivers a combination of the chic and the theatrical that seems wholly appropriate.
Cosmopolitan Upgrades
Atomizer
Sleek and simple, this atomizer from Barfly, a practical and stylish addition to any bar, will set you back just four bucks. It holds 15 mL and takes up no more space than a jumbo tube of lipstick. $4
Mandarine Napoléon
Hit your best-stocked spirits store for this Belgian product—harder to find than some other orange liqueurs but well worth the search. Once you’re done making your Cosmopolitan, the liqueur makes for a nice after-dinner drink on its own. $35 for 750 mL
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