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.
Watch the video
⭐️ Try our sparkling spin on the cosmopolitan drink with this Champagne cosmopolitan cocktail.
Cosmopolitan cocktail ingredients
While there are many variations, our recipe for a cosmo cocktail comes from what we (and most of our friends) keep stocked in our pantry. In our cosmopolitan recipe below, we’ve included recipes for making one drink or many using a pitcher. To make cosmos, you will need the following:
- Vodka
- Cranberry juice or cranberry cocktail
- Triple sec or or when we are feeling fancy, Cointreau
- Fresh lime juice – use freshly squeeze lime for the best cosmos!
When choosing vodka for cosmopolitan cocktails, go for something mid to high range. We usually stock Stolichnaya or “Stoli,” but use what you know you enjoy. Lower-priced vodka tastes a bit more abrasive.
I’m also a stickler on using fresh lime juice — not bottled lime juice. We realize it’s a little more work, but the taste is much better. If you love fresh citrus as much as me in your cocktail recipes, take a look at our lemon drop martini cocktail or these vodka gimlets.
We love adding a little orange peel to our glass. It may look like an unnecessary garnish, but if you do it right, it adds a little sweetness, and as you take a sip of your 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 spraying from the orange fall into the drink. Rubbing the edges of the glass doesn’t hurt either. Trust me, it makes a huge difference.
How to make a perfect cosmopolitan cocktail
You can make cosmos for one or a crowd. To make one cosmopolitan drink:
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice then add your vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice and lime juice.
- Shake for about 30 seconds until well chilled.
- Strain into a martini glass and garnish with orange peel.
⭐️ To make cosmos for a crowd, add your vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice and lime juice to a pitcher and stir well. Refrigerate until cold, and then serve.
The Cosmopolitan is such a fresh, bright, and happy drink. Don’t you think?
Perfect Cosmopolitan Cocktail
- PREP
- TOTAL
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 cocktail.
Since there is quite a lot of vodka in the recipe, choose mid to high-priced vodka. We like to use Stolichnaya.
We love adding orange peel to our cosmos. Sure, it may look like an unnecessary garnish, but if you do it right, it adds a little sweetness, and as you go 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 spraying from the orange fall into the drink. Rubbing the edges of the glass doesn’t hurt either.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
2 ounces (1/4 cup) vodka
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) triple sec, Cointreau, or Grand Marnier
3/4 ounce (1 tablespoon + 1 ½ teaspoons) cranberry juice cocktail, see notes
1/4 to 1/2 ounce (1 ½ teaspoons to 3 teaspoons) fresh lime juice
One 2-inch orange peel/twist
Ice
Directions
1Fill 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.
2Shake the cocktail shaker for about 30 seconds until well chilled. Then, strain into a martini glass.
3Garnish with orange peel/twist. Peel the orange twist over the filled cocktail glass so the orange oils spray into the glass.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Cranberry juice: You can use sweetened cranberry juice (often called “cranberry juice cocktail”) or unsweetened plain cranberry juice. If you use unsweetened, you will likely find that you need to add a small splash of simple syrup or agave since it can be quite tart.
- Serve 4 using a pitcher: To make 4 drinks at one time, add 1 cup vodka, 1/4 cup triple sec, 1/3 cup cranberry juice, and 2 to 4 tablespoons of fresh lime juice to a pitcher. Stir and adjust to taste. Refrigerate. When ready to serve, pour into four martini glasses and garnish with orange peel/twist.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA Supertracker recipe calculator to calculate approximate values.
You May Also Like...
Made this a few times now and this is the first recipe that my wife will consistently finish.
The holiday crowd loved it. Dropped some sugared cranberries in as a garnish.
I tried about 4 or 5 Cosmopolitan recipes in the past few months. This one is my favorite by far! Just the right balance for my taste! Not too sweet, not too tart!!
This was great! Very balanced. Two oz of vodka is perfect in my opinion. You’re right – it must be fresh squeezed lime. The bottled stuff ruins it.
I love Cosmos and this is my go-to recipe and has been for a number of years. I use GranGala (a less expensive version of Gran Marnier) and during the holidays when I have my homemade Spiced Apple Cranberry relish on hand, I add a very little dollop of that to my shaker.
Absolutely perfect! Not too sweet, not too tart, wonderful!