My secret Cosmo recipe

I've been told I make a great Cosmo, and I concur. A good Cosmo is just what I need after a long day's work, or to celebrate being in the company of good friends. So, in the spirit of Saturday night, I'm willing to share my personal recipe, which has been perfected over one full year of trial and error.

Let's start with the ingredients. You'll need vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, and a big slice of fresh lime.

Vodka: Unlike many people, I don't get my panties in a bunch about the brand of vodka I use. Svedka is my preference, because it's cheap, but still good. Sure, I'd love to use Grey Goose or Belvedere, but don't really see the point since it's being mixed. Plus, I'm a bargain hunter, so I will use whatever is on sale, or even a bottom-of-the-barrel brand in a pinch so long as I don't exceed the formula of "Cosmo with cheap vodka greater than or equal to 2 equates to painful hangover." In short, get yourself some vodka, but don't sweat the brand.

Triple sec: I am again unlike most people here. I care tremendously about the brand of triple sec used in my Cosmo. Hiram Walker has the best flavor triple sec on the market, in my opinion, and it's about $7.99 for a bottle that will last forever. It's worth the extra $2 to upgrade from Mr. Boston.

Cranberry juice: Caution, as Brian Regan has pointed out, cranberries are getting into all the juices lately. You want 100% cranberry juice for a Cosmo. Not CranApple or CranGrape or CranRaspberry or CranCherry or CranMango or CranAnything else. Just plain old Cranberry juice. Ocean Spray is preferred, but not essential. I use Wegmans brand, and it's delicious.

Fresh Lime Slice: When I say a slice, I mean a real slice. Not the lime sliver what you get in a bar. I've determined that fresh lime is THE essential ingredient to a good Cosmo.

Recipe:

• 2 full jiggers of vodka
• 1 full jigger of triple sec
• 1 full jigger of cranberry juice
• The juice of 1 lime slice

Combine all ingredients with ice in a shaker. Shake well, pour (filtering out the ice) into your favorite martini glass, and enjoy!

Happy Saturday!