The Cosmopolitan used to be called the 'stealth Martini', presumably because the fruit-juice element conceals the strong spirit base. It first became popular in the 1970s, although nobody seems to know for sure where the first one was mixed or by whom. Its current popularity reflects that of the television series Sex And The City, which established the drink as the cocktail of choice for sophisticated young women in New York.
At Tango Martini most of the Cosmo-sipping regulars are women, but a few men order them as well, simply because they taste so good. Manager Leo Tabac Tabac estimates the bar mixes about 150 of them a week.
There are a number of schools of thought on the correct way to mix a classic Cosmopolitan. Some like them shaken, some like them stirred, while some prefer lemon to lime. Like the professionals they are, the bar staff at Tango Martini will mix the drink whichever way you like it, but the house formula is as follows:
4 shots of vodka
5 shots of cranberry juice
The juice of one fresh lime