The original recipe called for just enough cranberry juice to add a light blush to the cocktail. It is very similar to a Harpoon, which in the 1960's was a recipe featured on Ocean-Spray cranberry juice bottles. How the times have changed and so has the Cosmopolitan, newer variations have developed a more cran-forward profile.
- 1.5 oz. citron vodka
- 1.5 oz. Cointreau
- 1 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 or 2 dashes of cranberry juice (a dash = 1/8th teaspoon)
- lemon twist for garnish
Shake the liquid ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain the drink into a well-chilled cocktail glass and garnish with the lemon twist.
For a Crantini, substitute cranberry-flavored vodka for the citron vodka, reduce the lime juice to 1/2 oz., and increase the cranberry juice to 1 oz.
For a Ginger Cosmo, add three or four thin slices of fresh ginger with the liquid ingredients to be shaken.
For a Tequila based Cosmo, see the Rude Cosmopolitan