Episode 5: I Tried Ina Garten’s Cosmopolitan Recipe

A couple of things before I begin; I have never before had a cosmopolitan and chances are I won’t have one again. For no other reason other than I am not a fan of cranberry juice. In my cocktails or in general, really.

However…

If Food Network personality Ina Garten can prepare her cosmopolitan (in grand fashion) some time closer to 9:00 am than 5 o’clock, I suppose I should give it a shot, right?

The Barefoot Contessa took to Instagram Live and showed the interwebs how she prepares a cocktail that could satiate a horde of “Sex and the City” enthusiasts for no one but herself. “Delicious,” she remarked, after taking a sip from a martini glass, that looks like it could be a stool for children, if you turned it upside down. You might even be able to give a baby a bath in that glass.

I halved her recipe and I’m so glad that I did because it was strong enough to make an angry Russian blush a shade similar to that of what’s in the glass.

There wasn’t much sweetness to cut through the liquor and “good vodka” is necessary in this recipe, as any cheap vodka would make this cocktail taste awful. The ingredients act as an accent to the vodka and as such, do elevate it.

If I were a fan of cosmopolitans (I am not), I might like this; the cocktail itself is something you would find in a high-end cocktail bar. It’s a testament to using quality ingredients to achieve a quality result.

It just isn’t my taste.

By all means, do not take this review as criticism; both the podcast episode and this writeup are meant to be more tongue-and-cheek. I am a fan of Ina’s and her sense of humor, which is evident in the video (which you can watch below).

If you like to drink cosmopolitans, I would recommend this recipe. For my tastes; however, it lacked sweetness and was not a flavor profile that I prefer.

If you want to try the recipe, you can find that here.

Did you try this recipe? Did you see the video when it went viral? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below or on social media.