I had seldom had a cocktail before I came to live in the United States. Yes, of course I'd had martinis, and there are certainly bars in Australia - Gilligan's comes to mind - that specialize in silly-looking drinks with fruit and swizzle sticks and little umbrellas in them. But cocktails are a part of everyday drinking in the U.S., and a competent New York bartender needs to know 50 or more cocktail recipes, from the Shirley Temple (yes, that's right, it has no alcohol) to the Long Island Iced Tea (yes, that's right, it has no tea).

So, fitting in with the spirit of the place I have tried a number of cocktails, and I rather like the Cosmo, or Cosmopolitan to give it it's full name. This is a pink, slightly sweetish, citrus-flavored drink, which when made well can be absolutely delicious. And lethal, if you have too many of them.

Shaun recently loaned me a book called Cosmopolitan - A Bartender's Life by Toby Cecchini. The author claims to be the originator of the Cosmopolitan, and he includes his recipe for the Cosmo, along with the recipes for a few other drinks, at the end of the book. I am assuming that there is no copyright or patent on such recipes, so I believe there is no problem in me reproducing them here. This is largely for my own convenience - I want to have an easy source for the recipes and my website is the obvious place.

I have pared the text of the recipes down to the bare minimum, without omitting any essential details. In any case I recommend the book for the opinionated rationale behind the drinks, as well as for the savage observations on New York nightlife.

Shake very vigorously with ice, and serve in a martini glass with a twist of lemon.

Stir with ice, and serve in a cocktail glass with a slice of orange (blood orange if available).

Shake thoroughly with ice, and strain into a cocktail glass rimmed with sugar.

Shake with ice, and strain into a large "rocks" glass with fresh ice. The glass may optionally be rimmed with salt.

Stir with ice, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.

Fill a shaker with ice, pour in a little white vermouth, shake it around a little, then drain off the vermouth. Pour in gin or vodka to taste, shake, and leave to settle for a few seconds. Strain into a martini glass (duh!), and garnish with green olives, cocktail onions or a twist of lemon.