Whitney from Tipicular Fixin’s has really dredged up some old memories with her “Drink of Shame” topic:

But, there was a time when you only ordered Long Island Iced Tea. Or, maybe you always made the Jello shots for your frat? Perhaps you’re the reason that your local had an Island Oasis machine for so long? Rye & Ginger? Vodka Seven? Someone was ordering these things. Your street cred would be ruined if you ordered or (gasp) served one now, but don’t you miss it, just a little?

This week we’re taking a drink we used to drink and fixing it up.  As always, thanks Whitney and Mxmo!

My Drink of Shame:

I’ll admit it. I was a Cosmo drinker. Yep. (Among other embarrassing things, most of which included “Coke”) I still say the Cosmo is a great cocktail with a bad reputation – and today I set out to create a “Grown up” version of this great nightclub standard. It was a relatively simple two-step process

1. Replace the Vodka with Gin

This revision shouldn’t come as a surprise. Using Vodka in this drink just feels like a missed opportunity, and a bit of London Dry Gin filled that slot nicely, bringing more flavor and a bit of a “grown up” feel.

2. Replace the Cranberry Juice with Pomegranate Concentrate

Why use Cranberry when you can use Pomegranate? I picked up this bottle of concentrate at my local Farmer’s Market and it’s been sadly languishing in the fridge. My adapted Cosmo felt like its perfect time to shine! The concentrate still brings quite a bit of flavor and tartness, but quite a bit less sugar than most Cranberry juices will use.

The Results:

I really liked the final product. It still had that simple tartness and balance of the traditional Cosmopolitan, but was less sweet and had a more interesting botanical flavor thanks to the Gin. I will say the color was a tad disappointing – the Pomegranate Concentrate isn’t clear like cranberry juice and has a bit of an orange hue – so the final cocktail was a bit orangey and murky.

But let’s be honest – it didn’t last long enough to bother me much!