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This classic cosmopolitan cocktail is crisp and easy to make at home. It’s made with real cranberry juice and fresh lime for a perfectly balanced sweetness!
It’s got a brilliant pink color and tangy, refreshing flavor: it’s the Cosmo! While some people might find it too sweet or neon pink, I’ve found that when made the classic way, the Cosmopolitan cocktail can be perfectly balanced. My secret is 100% cranberry juice, which gives it a sweet tart flavor and deep color.
The Cosmo rose to popularity in the 1990s thanks to Sex and the City, but a version with gin, the “Cosmopolitan Daisy,” first appeared in a bar book in 1934. The vodka-based version came along later, and as a homemade cocktail expert, I think that the classic Cosmo recipe makes a balanced sour cocktail worth drinking!
Why You’ll Love This Cosmopolitan Recipe
As a cocktail experts and certified mixologist, I have a long list of classic cocktail recipes, from gin fizz to whiskey sour to French 75 to Moscow mule. Here’s why to make make my spin on the Cosmopolitan cocktail:
- It’s easy. I’ve paired it down to the essentials. Instead of having to buy a whole new type of vodka, you can use standard vodka instead.
- It’s not too sweet (you can customize to taste). Versions you’ll order at a bar can be incredibly sweet. This recipe is perfectly sweet tart, and you can customize it to taste.
- It has a bright color. This version uses unsweetened cranberry juice, which makes a heightened color compared to other Cosmos.
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Ingredients You’ll Need
A Cosmopolitan cocktail is a classic drink made with cranberry juice, vodka, and citrus. Here are a few notes on what you’ll need:
- Citron vodka or vodka: I like using standard vodka since it’s what I usually have on hand. In my taste tests, citron vodka adds just a subtle citrus hint to the finish: not a reason to buy a bottle (for me). But if you have citron vodka, by all means use it here!
- Cranberry juice: I like to use 100% cranberry juice, which is unsweetened. Many Cosmo recipes use cranberry juice cocktail, which has a sweeter, less nuanced flavor.
- Cointreau or triple sec: I prefer using Cointreau as the orange liqueur in this drink (it’s what I use in my classic margarita recipe), but triple sec also works.
- Lime juice: Lime brings out the tangy flavor; make sure to use a fresh lime and not bottled juice.
- Simple syrup or maple syrup: Because I use 100% cranberry juice, I add a hint of sweetener to brighten the flavor. If all you can find is cranberry juice cocktail, you can omit the sweetener.
Tip: Citron vodka also stars in a classic Lemon Drop Martini, another great place to use it!
How to Make a Cosmopolitan
Making a cosmopolitan cocktail is straightforward: here’s what to do (or jump to the recipe):
- Add the vodka, cranberry juice, Cointreau, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker filled at least halfway with ice.
- Shake vigorously for 15 seconds. You want the shaker to feel ice-cold in your hands (under-shaking leaves the drink too harsh and warm).
- Strain into a chilled martini glass. If you’d like, garnish with a lime wheel.
Pro Tip: Chill your glass in the freezer for 10 minutes before making the drink. A cold glass keeps your drink chilled longer and has a crisp sensation when you drink.
Make It Your Own
This cosmopolitan cocktail recipe can easily be adjusted to your flavor preferences. Here are three variations to try:
- Dry Cosmo: Reduce or omit the simple syrup for a tart, sophisticated version that lets the cranberry and citrus shine.
- Slightly Sweeter: Increase the simple syrup to 1½ teaspoons or even 2 teaspoons if you prefer a sweeter drink.
- Using Sweetened Cranberry Juice: If you can only find cranberry juice cocktail instead of 100% juice, simply omit the simple syrup.
Serving Suggestions
For the garnish, a lime wheel on the rim is classic, but you can also use an orange twist. Some bartenders use an orange peel, which releases fragrant oils when expressed over the drink. A lemon twist works too.
This cocktail is great at dinner parties, girls’ nights, and holidays. You could also serve cosmos for brunch, though I generally like something a little lighter like Cranberry Mimosas.
Serving a crowd? You can scale this recipe for a pitcher: combine all ingredients except ice (multiply the recipe by 6 to 8 servings) in a pitcher and refrigerate for up to 4 hours ahead When guests arrive, shake individual portions with ice as needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
In my opinion, the secret is using 100% cranberry juice instead of sweetened cranberry juice cocktail. This gives you complete control over the sweetness and creates a more balanced, sophisticated drink. Fresh lime juice and proper shaking technique (15 seconds with plenty of ice) are also crucial.
Yes! I actually prefer using Cointreau, a premium orange liqueur. If you don’t have either, Grand Marnier works as a substitute, though it will add amber color and cognac notes to your drink. In a pinch, you could use a small amount of orange juice, but the flavor profile will be different.
Lime juice is essential to the classic cosmopolitan cocktail recipe: it provides the acidity that balances the drink. Lemon juice works as a substitute. I don’t recommend using bottled lime juice; fresh is critical for the best results.
A traditional martini is simply gin (or vodka) and dry vermouth with an olive or lemon twist. A cosmopolitan is a sour cocktail made with vodka, cranberry juice, orange liqueur, and lime juice. The cosmopolitan is sweeter, fruitier, and more citrusy.
Cosmopolitan Recipe
This classic cosmopolitan cocktail is crisp and easy to make at home. It’s made with real cranberry juice and fresh lime for a perfectly balanced sweetness!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Shaken
- Cuisine: Cocktails
Ingredients
- 1 ounce vodka or citron vodka*
- 1 ounce 100% cranberry juice (not sweetened!)
- ½ ounce Cointreau or triple sec
- ½ ounce fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon simple syrup (or pure maple syrup)**
- For the garnish: lime wheel (optional)
Instructions
- Place the vodka, cranberry juice, Cointreau, lime juice, and syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake 15 seconds until cold. Strain the liquid into a martini glass.
- Garnish with a lime wheel if desired.
Notes
*Citron vodka: If you have it, use citron vodka for the most authentic Cosmo. In our tests we found it was just as tasty to use standard vodka with lemon juice, so you don’t have to buy another type of vodka.
**Sweetener notes: If all you can find is sweetened cranberry juice, omit the simple syrup. You can also use pure maple syrup for a more nuanced sweetness.
More Cranberry Juice Cocktails
There are lots of great cranberry cocktails to make:
Delicious, thank you for sharing. We like to use DeepEddy Cranberry vodka in these. It really adds to the color and tartness of the drink.
Great guys. But pity you didn’t include the metric liquid measures. Most everyone outside of USA uses ml or parts of a litre as liquid measures.
If you would like to grab a bigger audience then please convert to include the ml sizes measures alongside the imperial. They will appreciate the touch!!
Even though I grew up with imperial and metric measures. I simply just click off the sites with only imperial measures. And it’s only because I dont want to get confused making the drinks or whatever. Keep going I like your site!!!
Regards Dheave