Citron vodka, Cointreau, cranberry, and lime — better than its reputation, with a showstopper flamed orange finish.
The Cosmopolitan was created in the 1980s, with multiple bartenders claiming credit. The most widely accepted origin is Toby Cecchini, who developed the modern version at the Odeon in Manhattan in 1988. Cheryl Cook in Miami made an earlier version, and Dale DeGroff at the Rainbow Room popularised it. Sex and the City made it famous and slightly uncool at the same time.
The flamed orange peel is not optional theater — it genuinely changes the drink. The heat from the flame and the pressure of squeezing releases a different, caramelised set of orange oil compounds that you don't get from cold expression. Use good citron vodka and unsweetened cranberry juice (just enough for the iconic pink color) and the Cosmopolitan reveals itself as a properly balanced cocktail.
Replace cranberry juice with blue curaçao (reduces the Cointreau). Startling blue-purple color and a different citrus character.
Replace cranberry with pomegranate juice. Deeper red color, slightly tart, and more complex than standard cranberry.
Shake the base without Cointreau, strain into a flute, and top with 2 oz chilled Champagne. Lighter and bubblier.