I can admit it, I make mistakes all the time. I make assumptions from incomplete datasets. I fall victim to confirmation bias. It happens, but I’m trying to be better. I have hated on this drink for many a year, for no real reason. When I was considering cocktails I kinda scoffed as I skipped over this one. But, it is a classic and when I thought about it, I didn’t know why I hated it, I just did. Probably, from it’s 90’s reputation as the go to drink for fashionable ladies about town, I never was a fan of Sex in the City. Today, in the interest of open mindedness I am tossing out my preconceptions and making a Cosmopolitan. 

I always assumed it was a pink martini, but digging a little deeper it looks like a Kamikaze with cranberry juice and I like cranberries so I should like this. That kind of hit me. I had never even bothered to find out what was in one of those ubiquitous Cosmos. They were a popular thing with a crowd I didn’t run in, so I automatically dismissed them. Didn’t even bother to try to find out why other people enjoyed them. I didn’t like them, that was that, I didn’t need to justify myself. They were an easy shorthand, I didn’t like them and by extension I didn’t even have to think about whether or not to like the people who enjoyed them. I could just automatically decide that anyone ordering a Cosmo was wrong, not my kinda people, I didn’t even have to see them. Terribly convenient and terribly stupid.

I’ve always told the kid, it’s ok to not like things, it’s even ok to hate some things, but do it for a reason. If you hate something, you better have a reason why. An honest, personal reason. I have always told him that stereotypes are for the lazy. Folks who can’t be bothered to see that every tree is different, no matter how rich and diverse the forest. So, me hating a drink I’d never tried was pretty hypocritical, and I despise that feeling. It happens all the time, but as much as I am grateful for spotting my inconsistencies, it sure makes me feel like an idiot. Like I said I’m trying to be better. 

Y’all get the thinly veiled symbolism? Can we move on to the drink? Yeah, about like I figured, the folks who get it knew it before I started and the others won’t ever get it unless something terrible makes it real, and as bad as it is, I hope that never happens. 

All right, grab your tins and let’s get through this together. Pop in 2 ounces of vodka, I used Grey Goose, cause I think I’ve had this bottle since about the time Sarah Jessica Parker introduced this drink to the world. Mildly interesting side note, the first big musical I saw on Broadway was Annie, yeah the original, I’m that old. Sarah Jessica Parker was in the cast as one of the orphans and I was close enough to the stage to develop a serious crush on the beautiful little blond girl in the chorus. It’s a hard knock life, I guess. Anyway, add an ounce of cranberry juice, 3/4 ounce of triple sec and 3/4 ounces of fresh squeezed lime juice. Toss in some ice and shake hard, really chill this one. Double strain into a chilled fancy cocktail glass and garnish with a couple of cranberries on a pick. 

Take a sip, it’s good. Surprisingly so. Light, refreshing, sweet enough but with a tart back of the tongue kind of thing from the cranberry. Plus it’s pretty, great coloration, remarkable plumage. The Cosmopolitan is a good drink. There, I said it. I was wrong all these years. Is it my new best friend, no. But, I will make it again and I will always see it from now on. That’s the thing isn’t it? We have to see things. We have to see each other. Really look, beyond the surface, beyond the easy, lazy shorthand of who we value and who we ignore. When we make the effort, when we see each other, as individuals, each with value, deserving of basic human respect and dignity, then we move toward who we can be, who we should be, who we must be. Yeah, it’s just a drink, but take some time, look beyond your conceptions and expectations. You may be surprised at what you find. Stay safe, stay hydrated and stay sane, my friends.