Not overly sweet or too tart, our cosmopolitan cocktail recipe is perfect to shake up for one or even prepare in advance for a crowd. Jump to the Cosmopolitan Cocktail Recipe
While there are many variations, ours comes from what we (and most of our friends) keep stocked in our pantry. Good vodka, triple sec (we like to use Cointreau) and fresh lime. A twist of sweet fragrant orange peel and you’re set.
When choosing the vodka, go for something mid to high range. We’ll usually stock Stolichnaya or “Stoli,” but use what you know you enjoy. The other thing to remember, here is to use fresh lime juice – not the bottled stuff. We realize it’s a little more work, but the taste is so much better.
You May Also Like: How to make one of our favorite cocktails — The Old Fashioned. See our recipe and tips for making the best Old Fashioned at home.
Lastly, we love adding a little orange peel to this. Sure, it may look like an unnecessary garnish, but if you do it right, it’s adds a little sweetness and as you go into to take a sip of the cosmopolitan cocktail, you’ll get orange essence, which hides the strength and scent of the vodka.
When you add the orange peel, peel it over the drink. This way, any oils that spray out from the orange, fall into the drink. Rubbing the edges of the glass doesn’t hurt either.
Recipe updated, originally posted December 2012. Since posting this in 2012, we have tweaked the recipe to be more clear and added a quick recipe video. – Adam and Joanne
Perfect Cosmopolitan Cocktail
Not too sweet or too tart, this cosmopolitan cocktail recipe is perfect to serve one or many. We like to use unflavored or citrus flavored vodka in this. If you can, since there is quite a lot of vodka in the recipe, choose vodka that is medium priced or that’s even top-shelf. We like to use Stolichnaya. We love adding a little orange peel to this. Sure, it may look like an unnecessary garnish, but if you do it right, it’s adds a little sweetness and as you go into to take a sip of the cosmopolitan cocktail, you’ll get orange essence, which hides the strength and scent of the vodka. When you add the orange peel, peel it over the drink. This way, any oils that spray out from the orange, fall into the drink. Rubbing the edges of the glass doesn’t hurt either.
Prep: 5min
Total: 5min
Yield: Makes 1 drink
Nutrition Facts: calories 205, Protein 0 g, Carbohydrate 13 g, Fiber 0 g, Sugar 9 g, Fat 0 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces (1/4 cup) vodka
- 1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) triple sec, Grand Marnier or Cointreau
- 3/4 ounce (1 tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons) cranberry juice cocktail, see notes
- 1/4 to 1/2 ounce (1 1/2 teaspoons to 3 teaspoons) fresh lime juice
- One 2-inch orange peel/twist
- Ice
Instruction:
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice then add vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice and lime juice. (We like the extra bite of extra lime juice, so we use 1/2 an ounce in our cosmopolitan cocktails. However, use what is best for your taste). Shake the cocktail shaker for about 30 seconds until well chilled. Then, strain into a martini glass.
- Garnish with orange peel/twist. For an extra burst of flavor, peel the orange twist over the filled cocktail glass. This way, the orange oils spray into the glass.
Cosmopolitan Cocktail
This classic Cosmopolitan recipe creates a fresh, bright and slightly tart cocktail with the perfect amount of sweetness. The right type of vodka, high quality orange liqueur, plenty of fresh lime juice and a splash of cranberry juice creates the best Cosmo!
Prep: 5min
Total: 5min
Yield: 2
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 175 kcal, Carbohydrate 10 g, Protein 1 g, Fat 1 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Sodium 3 mg, Sugar 10 g, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- Ice (as needed)
- 3 ounces high quality vodka (like Belvedere, Kettle One, or Grey Goose)
- 1 ½ ounces orange flavored liqueur (like Cointreau or Patron Citrónge)
- 1 ½ ounces cranberry juice cocktail
- ½ fresh lime (plus additional for garnish)
Instruction:
- Fill a large cocktail shaker about ¾ full with small pieces of ice. Pour in the vodka, orange liqueur, and cranberry juice. Squeeze the juice from half a lime into the shaker. Cover and shake well, at least ten times or more.
- Strain the cocktail into two martini glasses.
- Garnish with a slice of lime or a lime twist if desired, and serve. Cheers!
Cosmopolitan cocktail
Lipsmackingly sweet and sour, the Cosmopolitan cocktail of vodka, cranberry, orange liqueur and citrus is a good-time in a glass. Perfect for a party
Prep: 5min
Total: 5min
Nutrition Facts: calories 161 calories, Carbohydrate 8 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 8 grams sugar
Ingredients:
- 45ml lemon vodka
- 15ml triple sec
- 30ml cranberry juice
- 10ml lime juice
- ice
- orange zest, or a lime wedge on the rim of the glass.
Instruction:
- Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
- To make the garnish: hold a 3cm round piece of orange zest about 10cm above your cosmo and very carefully wave it over a lit match or lighter flame. Bend the outer edge of the zest in towards the flame so that the orange oils are released, then drop the zest into your drink.
