A SPOONFUL OF COSMO

It's always fun to take a classic cocktail and do a little molecular mixology on it.  Here I've taken the basic ingredients of a Cosmopolitan (fresh lime juice, cranberry juice, Cointreau or Triple Sec, citrus vodka) and turned it into a spoonful of happy hour.
I used the reverse spherification technique on the classic Cosmopolitan ingredients of citrus vodka, cranberry juice and Cointreau then put the lime juice in a little pool in the spoon to float the cocktail sphere in.  Note the little mint leaf I added inside the sphere, not a standard Cosmo ingredient but I wanted something floating in the sphere.
These cocktail spheres are a perfect pairing with an amuse bouche; one bite, one sip to go with the bite. These also are a fun way to give folks a little happy hour giggle and they won't get you drunk either. Well, not unless you have a dozen or so.

INGREDIENTS

(These ingredients are equal to ONE cocktail serving. Feel free to multiply)

1 Oz. vodka

1/2 Oz. Cointreau

1 Oz. cranberry juice

1/4 Oz. lime juice

A handful of fresh micro mint leaves

1/2 tsp calcium lactate*

1 tsp sodium alginate*

Purified water

TOOLS

Immersion blender

Pitcher

Measuring spoons

Mini pipette droppers*

Round silicon molds

Freezer

2 Large glass bowls or containers 

Slotted spoon

DIRECTIONS

Measure out cranberry juice and add to pitcher.

Add calcium lactate and blend with immersion blender.

Add vodka and Cointreau (the lime juice will come into play later) – blend again.

Carefully fill the silicon molds with this cocktail solution. I used a small pipette dropper*.

Slide one micro mint leaf in each mold space.

Place in freezer for 12 hours.

15 minutes before serving add sodium alginate to 2 cups of purified water in a large glass bowl. Mix quickly and well with CLEAN immersion blender (because you don't want the calcium lactate and sodium alginate to accidentally mix here).

Place in fridge for 15 minutes. This is your sodium alginate bath.

NOTE: If you are multiplying the recipe this part does not need to be multiplied!)

TO MAKE SPHERES

Remove sodium alginate bath from fridge (it should be somewhat gelatinous in texture by now).

Fill another large glass bowl with 3 cups purified water for your washing bath.

Remove frozen cocktails from freezer.

Pop around four of the frozen cocktail spheres into the sodium alginate bath. Make sure they don’t touch or they will stick to each other. Stir gently occasionally so all sides of the spheres are in contact with the sodium alginate bath.

Keep in sodium alginate bath for 3 to 5 minutes (the longer they stay in the bath the thicker the outside skin) or until spheres have unfrozen.

Scoop out using slotted spoon and dip a few times in the water bath to rinse.

TO ASSEMBLE MOLECULAR COCKTAIL

Place each sphere in serving spoon.

Pipe the 1/4 ounce of fresh lime juice over the sphere.

Serve immediately.

* These can be purchased on Amazon.

National Cosmopolitan Day is May 7th.
 
Updated May 2020 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY