Cosmopolitan with a dried orange wheel.
The Cosmopolitan earned its reputation and then spent a decade being made badly. Done properly it is tart, dry, and barely pink, not the sweet red thing it became. The trick is going easy on the cranberry and letting the lime and triple sec do the work.
The classic finish is a flamed orange peel, which is lovely and also a small kitchen fire waiting to happen. A dried orange wheel gives you the same lift of citrus oil on the nose, sits beautifully against the pale pink, and asks nothing of you but to drop it in.
What you'll need
- 45ml citrus vodka
- 20ml triple sec (Cointreau)
- 15ml fresh lime juice
- 30ml cranberry juice
- 1 dried orange wheel
- Ice, to shake
How to make it
- Add the vodka, triple sec, lime juice, and cranberry to a shaker with ice.
- Shake hard for ten seconds, until the tin is frosted.
- Double-strain into a chilled coupe so it pours clean.
- Rest a dried orange wheel on the rim or float it on the surface.
- If you want the full effect, twist a fresh orange peel over the glass for the aroma, then let the dried wheel carry the look.
Why dried earns its place
A fresh slice on a delicate, pale drink like this just looks heavy, and a flamed peel is gone in seconds. The dried orange wheel holds its warm colour against the pink, keeps a steady note of orange oil on the nose, and still looks composed when the glass is half empty.
Use the Orange jar, about 25 wheels, enough to dress a whole evening of rounds.