The Cosmo Canyon is the signature cocktail served at Seventh Heaven, Tifa Lockhart’s bar in Final Fantasy VII Remake. When Cloud Strife visits the bar, he asks for something “hard and bitter.” Tifa first serves him a yellow cocktail before deciding he’s a more discerning customer and pouring him the house specialty instead: the red Cosmo Canyon. While the game never reveals the recipe, the scene provides a few clues. The drink should be strong, with a balance of bitter and sweet notes. It should also be memorable enough to be a signature drink of the bar.
To bring this drink to life, I wanted to create a drink that captured the spirit of that scene rather than just look the part. Campari provides the bitter backbone, while vodka delivers the strength Cloud requested without competing with the other flavors. Pomegranate juice gives the drink its red hue (along with the Campari) and a bright tartness that complements the bitterness instead of amplifying it. Lemon juice, triple sec, and a touch of simple syrup round out the cocktail, creating a bridge between the tart fruit, citrus sweetness, and lingering bitter finish.
The result is a cocktail that opens with fruit on the nose and a burst of tart pomegranate before citrus and sweetness smooth the middle of the sip. The bitterness arrives last, lingering on the finish. The drink has a unique mix of complementing flavors that definitely feel like they could be a signature drink of a bar in the Sector 7 slums. Next time 8mm in Midgar, I’ll definitely need to swing by Seventh Heaven for one of these.
Ingredients
1.5 oz vodka
1 oz pomegranate juice
0.5 oz Campari
0.5 oz lemon juice
0.5 oz triple sec
0.5 oz simple syrup
1.5 oz vodka
1 oz pomegranate juice
0.5 oz Campari
0.5 oz lemon juice
0.5 oz triple sec
0.5 oz simple syrup
Add all ingredients to a shaker, and then add ice. Shake hard for about 10 seconds, and then strain into a glass. Enjoy!