Cosmopolitan (cocktail) Cosmopolitan (cocktail) A cosmopolitan, or informally a cosmo, is a cocktail made with vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, and freshly squeezed or sweetened lime juice. The International Bartenders Association recipe is based on vodka citron, lemon-flavored vodka. The cosmopolitan is a relative of cranberry coolers like the Cape Codder. Though often presented far differently, the cosmopolitan also bears a likeness in composition to the kamikaze cocktail. The origin of the cosmopolitan is disputed. While the cocktail is widely perceived to be a more modern creation, there is a strikingly similar recipe for a cosmopolitan which appears in "Pioneers of Mixing
Cocktail such as soda or fruit juice, it is a highball. Many of the International Bartenders Association Official Cocktails are highballs. When a mixed drink contains only a distilled spirit and a liqueur, it is a duo, and when it adds a mixer, it is a trio. Additional ingredients may be sugar, honey, milk, cream, and various herbs. Mixed drinks without alcohol that resemble cocktails are known as "mocktails" or "virgin cocktails". The origin of the word cocktail is disputed. The first recorded use of cocktail not referring to a horse is found in "The Morning Post and Gazetteer" in London,