I'm hoping the cosmo king will see this and give me some advice.

I am recently addicted to cosmos BUT only very good ones. I've gotten pretty picky. I do mix up a mean cosmo at home based on instruction from the world's greatest bartender at the Bellagio. I have a couple of questions about our upcoming Navigator Med cruise.

- Does Grey Goose count as more than one bottle for the in room set up because it's premium?
- Should I bring my own Cointreau?
- I assume it's easy to get fresh limes and cranberry juice in the room - true?
- Todd - I'd love your recipe, if you're sharing, and any other cosmo tips you may have. I tried to search for your old posts witht his information but to no avail.

Thanks,
Colleen

Hi Colleen, I searched the site and the internet for a Todd Cosmo - if you did that you'd get Todd's recipe, but, I guess it's no longer in the top searches!

I had a Cosmo Party at my house tonight.
:D We had a really good time!! I often have one in the cabin too on board when we sail.

On Board, Grey Goose is premium most of the time, but, I have had them give me two bottles of it on a couple cruises and I do bring my own small bottle of Cointreau, a shaker and a bar measure. If you call room service, they will give you a set up of martini glasses and everything else you need.

I am picky about my cranberry juice and sometimes on board they actually have CranApple for the rooms which I don't like. I bring my own Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail. You can generally find it in small juice boxes (like for kid's lunchboxes) or 12 oz plastic bottles. Limes are not always available via room service so in a pinch a lemon will work. My recipe is from the 21 Club in Manhattan but I've modified it in paraentheses

1 1/2 oz Grey Goose (I like using l'orange)
3/4 oz Cointreau
1 1/2 oz Cranberry

Shake over ice, squeeze a small wedge of lime into your cosmo and Celebrate!

I also make a South Beach Cosmo. Whenever I make that one, my guests love it. I got the recipe from the Cheesecake Factory, which has taken it off their bar menu:

1 1/2 oz Grey Goose l'orange
3/4 oz Cointreau
1 1/2 oz Orange Juice (Fresh Squeezed)

Shake over ice and add a splash of grenadine and garnish with a cherry in the glass and an orange wedge on the rim - It's very pretty since the grenadine goes to the bottom of the glass and fades into the OJ.

Tonight I made 4 at a time using a standard measuring cup (6 oz Vodka and 3 oz Cointreau, 6 Oz OJ or Cranberry) (we did have quite a group here!) and stirring them in a glass pitcher. I used fresh oranges and juiced them for the South Beach.

I keep my GG and Cointreau in the freezer. Some people do use Grand Marnier instead of Cointreau.

Yes, they can be addicting, but more often they are just FUN!

Gosh Kathy my cosmos parties would end at 3 AM!!! You had the party and posted - way to go!!!

We started at 4 and then all went to dinner at 7:30 and have to work tomorrow! Otherwise we'd still be going!

Wow you are heavy afternoon hitters

Nah - it was just too hot to do anything else!

Depending on where your Med cruise starts, and how much time you have before embarkation, I would suggest waiting and buying the cointreau at a liquor store there. We did this in Nice, bought a small bottle, had plenty left by the end of the cruise. But that might not work in another city.

To bring up Todd's own recipe, you have to set the search to go waaay back. Here ya go, by the Cosmo Master himself:

Here I am! Pam you are the best finding that recipe for me! It works everytime. I really like Grey Goose as it is a lighter Vodka and is so refreshing in a Todd Cosmo!

Hey, Todd! Good to see you here. Your enthusiasm is missed!

lust above the ice ?How does one do that? lol

Yeah Todd..where've you been?
Kathy..looks like Todd only posts now when it comes to the VERY important things ( like..Cosmos) :)

Todd always throws the lust in as part of his recipe -

Oops - What a typo!

Thanks for all the input. I always go with four parts vodka - I agree, Todd, I love Grey Goose, sometimes L'Orange - two parts Cointreau, 1 1/2 or sometimes two parts fresh lime juice (I have an awesome lime squeezer that my bartender friend tipped me to) and 1 1/2 parts cranberry juice. I really strongly prefer a limey cosmo but only fresh lime. That nasty Rose's stuff or sour mix doesn't cut it for me. The drink has to be cloudy because that shows the use of fresh lime juice. I am glad to see your recipe again Todd and appreciate all the info on what I should tote along for our evening cocktail on the balcony routine.

Colleen

Have you guys tried Belvedere Vodka? My personal favorite in a Cosmo. I always specify Cointreau when out as I have been surprised more than once with the Triple Sec Cosmo, just not "right"!

I love Belvedere as well!

Anyone tried Hangar? Someone gave me a bottle for a gift. Haven't opened it yet.

I have been having a problem with bladder infections. People keep telling me to drink cranberry juice. Maybe the problem is that I should be adding the Grey Goose etc. to make it really work.

Give it a whirl, Bette! At least you'll feel better for a couple of hours!

Those are the worst, Bette - better leave out the Vodka. Ask your doctor for Pyridium - it will take the pain away. They forget to give you that unless you know about it.

Bette: Stick with the cranberry..good for the bladder..a little GG??? OK tOO!! - Kathy, pyridium???? Gosh you are (as my boys would say) "one knowing babe"

Todd, I am so glad to hear you endorse Belvedere. I like it too and the bottles are so beautiful.

JoAnna, only by experience. And cranberry won't cure a bladder infection - but it will help prevent one.

When we were at the Cape Grace I introduced Suzanne and Arlene to the Cosmo and they were made with Belvedere. Quite tasty!

Bette, don't mess around with bladder infections. I drank cranberry juice when I had one which masked all the symptoms. I felt fine for a week or so then developed a fever, nausea etc which I though was the flu. After a few weeks of that and several trips to the doctor (who never suspected a UTI because of the flu symptoms) I eventually got so ill that I had to go to an ER --there they discovered I was in renal failure. That did huge damage to my kidneys but I just barely avoided having to go on dialysis. Now I call the doctor at the first symptoms and have an RX for antibiotics to carry around with me everywhere (didn't bring them to Africa and sure enough, I had to have the doctor come to the hotel--but he was cute, so it ended well). Anyway--don't mess with cranberry juice if you have UTI symptoms--go see a doctor. Editing to add--but drinking cranberry juice in a cosmo is a great thing!!!!!

I have had an ecoli infection for months.The Doctor keeps giving me different antibiotics and it disappears for six weeks and then comes back. Now I am taking one for 30 days and I hope that I get rid of it for good.Since meds don't seem to work I think that maybe I should try heavy doses of Grey Goose.

Peggy - yikes!!

There's a new vodka on the market that's just been released - it's called Ocean Vodka and (surprise, surprise), it comes from Maui. It was evaluated by some local sommeliers in a blind taste test and was rated #1 by 3 out of 5 of them over Grey Goose, Belvedere, and Ketel One. It's sort of hard to find but I'm hoping to bring a bottle of it with me to MUSH so we can all do a taste test. :D

Masaki

Kathy Marty is a retired pharmacist so I know all about the pilla that make your urine orange.My grandson had a kidney problem last year and he is 7 years old. He had to take them.He announced one night at the dinner table that he had a good idea. If everyone in the house took a different pill that made your pee a different color then you would know who hadn't flushed the toilet.

Out of the mouths of babes!!! That's really cute, and a great idea besides :)

Bette,

I hope you feel better quickly. I went through that same experience many years ago. It took a couple years to finally get that out of my system.