Red, white (the ice cubes) and blue drink (blue for Bombay Sapphire gin, plus add a few blueberries. Photos courtesy Bacardi USA.
May 2010 |
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Cosmopolitan Cocktail Recipe
With A Middle Eastern Twist
Overview
The premiere of the film, Sex And The City 2, engendered many cocktail recipes named for the characters. Since much of the action takes place in the Middle East, our favorite was this Cosmo enhanced with real Middle Eastern flavors—cardamom, rose syrup and mint.
The mixologists who created the cocktail in The London NYC hotel call it the Sexy London. We’ve renamed it the Rock The Casbah Cosmopolitan.
Note that while you can use the “quick infusion” of cardamom in the vodka and be one in an hour, the better-infused vodka must sit for at least three days.
Rock The Casbah Cosmopolitan Cocktail
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Ingredients Per Cocktail
- 2 ounces green cardamom-infused
vodka (recipe below)
- 1/2 ounce triple sec
- 1/2 ounce rose syrup*
- 1/2 ounce cranberry juice
- 1/4 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
- 4-5 mint leaves
- Ice cubes
Preparation
- Muddle mint leaves with rose syrup and lime juice in a shaker.
- Add the infused vodka and ice.
- Shake well and strain into a martini glass.
- Garnish with mint sprig or citrus curl.
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*Buy a high-quality rose syrup—best found in Middle Eastern markets. You’ll be able to use the rose syrup for many other purposes: desserts (drizzle over ice cream, pound cake, rice pudding, flavor puddings and flan); baking (cakes, flan); in a glaze for meat, poultry and fish; in a rose Gin & Tonic and other cocktails.
Cardamom Vodka
Traditional Method Of Preparation
- Crack 1/4 cup green cardamom pods (you can use the bottom of a pan with a dishtowel over the pods on a cutting board).
- Place the cracked pods in a large container and cover with a standard 750ml bottle of vodka. Don’t use a bargain brand: The higher the quality of the vodka, the smoother and more flavorful the infusion. Cardamom lovers will also enjoy drinking the vodka straight.
- Allow the vodka to infuse for at least three days and up to two weeks.
Cardamom Vodka: Quick Method
- Toast 1/4 cup green cardamom pods in a skillet until fragrant and glossy, (indicating that the oils have come out.)
- Place the toasted pods into a blender and blend with a 750ml bottle of vodka. Depending on the size of your blender carafe, you may have to do this in two batches.
- Allow the mixture to sit for at least 1 hour. Strain the mixture through a piece of cheesecloth or a coffee filter.
Recipe© copyright The London NYC. All rights reserved. Other material
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