I’m basically a wine girl, with my favorite varieties coming from vineyards in Northern California, the Barossa in Australia, or the Amarone in Italy. Wine is an excellent complement to food of every kind, from freshly popped popcorn to chocolate to steak to omelets.
However, every once in a while I break from tradition and enjoy a few mixed concoctions, especially during the spring and summer months when a cool and refreshing libation is preferred after a hot day of toiling in the urban garden. Nothing quenches thirst or slows down hemorrhaging sweat glands faster than a good mixed drink.
My beverage of the moment is the Cosmopolitan and/or martinis. I know, I know. A typical Cosmo is pink and girly, and dry martinis are as far away as you can get from that on the manliness scale, but each, presented in the trademark giant bowl of a glass, is an experience.
Despite the attempts by the Sex and the City girls to elevate the drink to a New York City-only phenomenon, a Cosmopolitan or martini isn’t just a prop to help the otherwise hapless mortal look sophisticated and worldly. These are damned good drinks!
In the bar setting, they can be über-expensive, especially if you’re in a venue such as the Top of the Mark, but never fear and take heart: The basic Cosmo is relatively simple to make at home. Take an ice cold shaker, some ice, one and one half ounces of vodka (leave the Popov for the bums — the better the vodka, the better the drink), an ounce of cranberry juice, some Cointreau or triple sec, and a splash of lime juice. Give the container a good shake and strain the contents into an ice cold glass.
Change it up by changing the vodka. Citron is my favorite these days, but I might change my mind tomorrow. Add raspberry Chambord instead of triple sec and kick it up a notch.
Article comments
1 - Miss Bob Etier
um, Joanne, do you plan to do that in one sitting? --bob
2 - wayne
It sounds to me that your a bit of a good time girl! I'm quite boring really when it comes to drinks, I usually go for a bottle of Becks when I'm out and about. I do drink allot of wine during meals, usually when the weather is good I drink white or rose wine as its nice and cold but during the winter months I appreciate a good bottle of red. I will give your cosmo a go, sounds quite nice!!
3 - Kate
Hi Joanne: I agree with you. SitC did a disservice to a great cocktail.
4 - Jack Tar
Absolutely agree about avoiding nasty cheap vodka - same applies to Gin based drinks - quality shines through.
Cheers!