Why a Cosmopolitan is tart, not sweet: the spec and how cranberry balances it

The Cosmopolitan is a sour in a pink dress: vodka, orange liqueur, lime and a splash of cranberry for tartness and colour. Here is the IBA spec in ml and oz, a glass that shows what more or less cranberry does to the colour and strength, and the story of who might have invented it.

Learn why the balance works, how to avoid the fruit-punch version, and how to make a lower-alcohol and an alcohol-free Cosmo.