Cotton candy is certainly one of things we associate with being a kid. This year, the O’Charley’s chain of family restaurants is bringing a little bit of childhood back to adult patrons. The O’Charley’s Cotton Candy Cosmo features X-Rated Fusion Liqueur, which is a blend of ultra-premium French vodka and blood oranges, mingling with mangos and passion fruit at the finish. The bartenders add a little Skyy Vodka and some cranberry juice and top the drink with a tiny tuft of pink cotton candy.
Bringing back memories of state fairs and the circus, this drink is wildly popular with patrons. “As a challenger brand that is focused on bringing new and innovative ideas to casual dining, we’ve taken a new approach to beverage development and really hit a home run with our Cotton Candy Cosmo,” says Stuart Melia, corporate director of beverage operations for 230-location O’Charley’s Inc., based in Nashville, Tenn.
Our goal was to bring excitement and energy into the dining room with a cocktail that would create buzz with our guests but also deliver on great taste. We tried making the Cotton Candy Cosmo with many different liquors and found that the X-Rated Fusion Liqueur delivered an incredible balance of fruit forward flavors that softened the sweetness of the cotton candy. The Cotton Candy Cosmo has been our No. 1 selling cocktail for 12 straight weeks and far exceeded our expectations.”