There are classic cocktails and there are modern cocktails. Today's cocktail is quite modern, being only 30 years old, and despite that it still has disputed roots. What is obvious though, is that this is a derivation of the kamikaze, a very nice vodka shooter if I do say so myself. What is also quite obvious is that this is one of the rare blends that completely covers the potency of the drink, beckoning you to have just another sip, just one more cocktail.

I am referring to the perennial modern classic, the cosmopolitan! (Extra credit if you can identify this iconic image!)

Follow up:

The cosmopolitan is a simple, no fuss cocktail with easy ingredients. I'm going to be using a slightly different recipe than you sometimes find because this is a cocktail and not cranberry punch. In my opinion, the blend is important and it is all too easy to get carried away dumping in too much juice.

The Cosmopolitan:

• 1 1/2 oz vodka
• 1/2 oz Cointreau
• splash Roses Lime Juice
• splash cranberry juice

Shake on ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lime wedge or twist.

I find a "splash" to wind up at about 1/2 oz, so for larger batches use a 3:1:1:1 ratio. You will find recipes asking for as much cranberry as vodka, and if you're making this for your grandparents over Thanksgiving, that's not a bad idea. Cranberry juice does prevent infections...

Since vodka is in general a neutral spirit, your choice of orange liquor does matter here. Yes, you can use triple sec, I won't tell anyone, but do yourself a favor and keep a bottle of Cointreau on hand for these, your guests will thank you. Better yet, use Cointreau for the first couple rounds then switch to triple sec

You'll also see recipes calling for lemon flavored vodka such as Absolut Citron. If you have some around, use it. Absolut makes 15 different varieties of vodka, and I'm willing to bet that half of 'em will work here. I'm even starting to wonder what this would taste like with Absolut Vanilia.

Cheers!