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07/10/2003 Archived Entry: "Cosmopolitan Revisited"

Dale Degroff was the chief bartender at the Rainbow Room for 12 years and started many drink-making trends during his tenure, including the Cosmopolitan. The drink’s origin, as he said on Food Talk this week, can be traced back to the test marketing of Absolut Citron Vodka. I’ve mentioned my favorite Cosmopolitan recipe in a previous entry. Dale placed his version on the menu at the Rainbow Room in 1996, shortly thereafter Madonna was seen sipping one, and the drink swiftly skyrocketed to new found levels of popularity. Dale’s book The Craft of the Cocktail is a complete guide to being a master bartender.

Dale Degroff’s Cosmopolitan
Makes 1 drink

1 1/2 ounces of citron vodka
1/2 ounce Cointreau
1/4 ounce fresh lime juice
1 ounce cranberry juice
Flamed orange peel for garnish.

Shake all the ingredients with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the flamed orange peel.

To make the flamed orange peel:

Be sure to select firm, fresh oranges which will have a higher oil content. First cut uniformly slender slices of peel, about 3/4 inch wide by 1 1/2 inches long. The peel should be so thin that only a small strip of white pith is visible in the center with ample orange-colored skin surrounding the circumference of the slice. This will maximize flavor and minimizing the amount of bitterness from the pith.

Hold a lit match in one hand and carefully pick up the orange twist in the other. To avoid prematurely expelling the oil, be careful not to squeeze the peel at all at this point. Then hold the twist 4 inches above the drink by it’s side, skin side down. Bring the lit match closer to the twist and pinch the peel sharply, expelling the oil into the flame and onto the surface of the drink.