Most mixologists have a go-to cosmopolitan recipe because the cosmopolitan cocktail, or cosmo, is a popular and beloved drink. If you're a fan of the cosmo, then it's easy to level up with your own version of the cosmopolitan cocktail using top-shelf ingredients.
The Ultimate Cosmopolitan Recipe
The ultimate cosmo recipe creates a balanced and sublime mixed drink that's a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate. Since a cosmo has a few simple elements, choosing the best ingredients to do the job allows you to make the most of this tasty, classic pink drink. This ultimate recipe levels up your cosmo game by using top-notch ingredients with spectacular results that make the finished cosmopolitan cocktail stand head and shoulders above the standard cosmo well drink you'll get in most bars.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed key lime juice
- 1 ounce Ocean Spray cranberry juice cocktail
- 1 ounce Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur
- 1½ ounces Dixie Citrus Vodka or Absolut Citron
- Ice
- Orange peel
- Match to flame the orange peel
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass by filling it with ice and a splash of water and setting it aside while you make the drink.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice, cranberry juice cocktail, blood orange liqueur, and citrus vodka.
- Add ice and shake to chill by shaking vigorously for 15 to 20 seconds.
- Dump the ice and water out of the cocktail glass. Strain the drink into it.
- Run the orange peel around the rim of your glass. Next, light the match and gently warm the orange peel by passing it over the flame for a second or two. Now, hold the lit match about an inch above the cocktail and hold the orange peel an inch or so above the match. Pinch the orange peel over the match to release the oils. The match will flame the oils as they drop into the drink.
- Extinguish the match and drop the peel into the drink as garnish.
Tips for Making the Ultimate Cosmopolitan Cocktail
Rely on these tips to make your cocktail shine.
- Don't skip the step of chilling the glass. You can also keep glasses chilled by storing them in the freezer. A chilled glass keeps the drink at the perfect temperature longer.
- Fresh juice is key; always use freshly squeezed lime juice. If you can't find key limes, then use Persian limes instead, which are the standard limes you'll find at the grocery store.
- Select key limes that are bright green and plump.
- Because key limes are so tiny, the easiest way to juice them is to cut them into quarters and juice them through a garlic press.
- Pure cranberry juice is too strong for a really good cosmo. You want it to color the drink, add a hint of sweet tartness, and add a light cranberry flavor without being overwhelming. That's why cranberry juice cocktail is a better choice than 100% unsweetened cranberry juice.
- Make sure you're working with chilled ingredients so you don't melt too much of the ice and over dilute the drink when you shake it.
- Balance is essential. Carefully measure ingredients in a jigger as you add them to ensure you're striking exactly the right balance of sweet and tart.
- Use a sharp vegetable peeler or sharp bartender's knife to cut a one-inch wide by two-inch long citrus peel for the garnish. Make sure you cut the peel very shallow so you only get the orange part; the white part, known as pith, imparts bitter flavors.
- When flaming the peel, make sure your hair is tied back, you're not wearing loose clothing, and there's nothing flammable in the vicinity.
- Use this video to learn how to flame an orange peel properly.
Classic Cosmopolitan Cocktail Recipe
This is the basic well drink recipe for a cosmo. It's served martini-style (chilled, straight up in a martini glass). You can make it premium by updating the ingredients used, as in the ultimate recipe above.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce cranberry juice cocktail
- 1 ounce orange-flavored liqueur
- 1½ ounces citrus-flavored vodka
- Ice
- Lemon wheel for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice, cranberry juice, orange liqueur, and citrus vodka.
- Add the ice and shake.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with the lemon wheel.
What's in a Cosmopolitan?
The great thing about any cocktail is that you can create a basic drink or make it an ultra-premium experience depending on the ingredients you choose.
Lime Juice
Traditionally, there's half an ounce of lime juice in a single cosmo. If you prefer a tarter drink, you can add up to a half an ounce more, so experiment to find the balance you like best. The best cocktails always feature freshly squeezed citrus juice; however, in a pinch you can use bottled lime juice, although the end result cocktail won't taste quite the same as if you use a fresh juice. Choose fresh limes to juice that are plump and bright green. Some good choices for lime juice in a cosmopolitan cocktail include:
- Freshly squeezed key lime juice
- Freshly squeezed Persian lime juice
- Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice
- Santa Cruz Organic pure lime juice
Avoid using lime juice cordials (such as Rose's lime juice cordial) because they have added sugar, which can throw off the sweet-tart flavor of the drink.
Cranberry Juice Cocktail
Cranberry juice adds the enticing pink flavor to the cosmopolitan cocktail, along with a hint of sweet-tart-berry flavors. However, balance is key here, as cranberry is a strong flavor that can quickly become overwhelming when out of balance. That's why cranberry juice cocktail is recommended over 100% unsweetened cranberry juice. The flavor of cranberry juice cocktail is lighter with added sweetness to balance the tart flavors. If you must use 100% pure cranberry juice, then dial down the amount to just a splash - enough to color and flavor the drink without overwhelming it and increase the lime juice to ¾ ounce.
Orange-Flavored Liqueur
Orange liqueur adds sweetness to balance the tart flavors in the cranberry and lime juice while bringing additional sweet citrus notes to the drink.
- A classic cosmo recipe calls for 1 ounce.
- If you prefer a sweeter cocktail, you can add up to an additional half ounce.
- If you prefer a tarter cocktail, you can use as little as a half an ounce.
- Experiment to find your perfect ratio.
While any orange-flavored liqueur will make a decent cosmopolitan cocktail, you have various choices including curaçao, triple sec, and other orange liqueurs like Grand Marnier and Cointreau. Choose a high quality orange liqueur for best results. Both Grand Marnier and Cointreau are excellent choices for a quality cosmo.
Citrus Flavored Vodka
When it comes to a cosmo, citrus flavored vodka is a star ingredient that adds that extra oomph to the drink. The classic choice is Absolut Citron, and it's a good one. However, you can try other citrus flavored vodkas as well, such as grapefruit flavored vodka or lemon flavored vodka. Each will impart its own flavor profile, so play around and see what you like. The 1½ ounces is a pretty firm recommendation for the strong element of the drink to create a sublimely balanced cosmo, but as with all other cocktails, you may have your own preference. For a stronger drink, you can add up to an additional half ounce, while for a weaker one you can add as little as 1 ounce.
Ice
It may seem silly to discuss ice, but believe it or not, the ice can make a big difference in how diluted your drink becomes as you shake it, which affects flavor and mouthfeel. Medium sized ice cubes (as opposed to small cubes or crushed ice) chill the drink quickly but melt slowly, making them ideal for creating a perfectly chilled but not watered down cocktail. The cosmo is served straight-up, so you won't need to worry about the ice further diluting it after the drink is strained into your chilled glass.
Garnish
An orange peel or twist is the classic garnish for a cosmo, but there are other garnishes that will work as well. These include:
- Orange slice or wedge
- Lemon twist, peel, or wedge
- Lime twist, peel, wheel, or wedge
- Fresh cranberries
- Other berries
- Rosemary sprig
- Mint sprig
Flaming the citrus peel isn't essential, but it adds a delightful citrus layer that floats on top of the drink, which pumps up citrus flavors and aromas.
Shaken or Stirred?
When making a drink that has citrus juices and alcohol, you need to shake them to allow the ingredients to blend properly. Therefore, a cosmo is always shaken in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for 15 to 20 seconds to ensure it is well chilled without becoming over diluted, and then strain it into a chilled martini glass.
Cosmopolitan Cocktail Recipe Variations
Try some of these tasty variations on a classic to create deliciously different cosmos.
Purple Cosmopolitan
Remember when you were a kid, and you learned to mix colors to make new ones? Rediscover that joy by blending colorful ingredients to make a delightful purple cosmo.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ounce cranberry juice cocktail
- ½ ounce blue curaçao
- ¼ ounce grenadine
- 1½ ounces citrus-flavored vodka
- Ice
- Lemon twist for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lemon juice, cranberry juice cocktail, blue curaçao, grenadine, and citrus vodka.
- Add the ice and shake to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with the lemon twist.
Pinkalicious Cosmo
Pink Whitney is the secret ingredient in this cocktail, which has a lovely pink shade and bright citrus flavor.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce cranberry juice cocktail
- ½ ounce orange-flavored liqueur
- 2 ounces Pink Whitney
- Ice
- Lemon twist for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice, cranberry juice, orange liqueur, and Pink Whitney.
- Add the ice and shake to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with the lemon twist.
Blue Cosmopolitan
How about an ocean blue cosmo? This cosmopolitan recipe is perfect for sipping poolside or drinking on a cold winter day when you long to stick your toes in the sand.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ounce white cranberry juice cocktail
- 1 ounce blue curaçao
- 2 ounces citrus-flavored vodka
- Ice
- Lemon twist for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lemon juice, white cranberry juice, blue curaçao, and citrus-flavored vodka.
- Add the ice and shake to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with the lemon twist.
Very Berry Cosmo
Add a bit of Chambord or another raspberry flavored liqueur for this berrylicious twist on the classic.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce cranberry juice cocktail
- ½ ounce orange-flavored liqueur
- ½ ounce Chambord
- 1½ ounces citrus-flavored vodka
- Ice
- Berries for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice, cranberry juice cocktail, Chambord, orange liqueur, and citrus vodka.
- Add the ice and shake.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with berries of your choice.
Cheery Cherry Cosmopolitan
Love cherries? Try this lovely cherry flavored cosmo.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce cranberry juice cocktail
- ½ ounce orange-flavored liqueur
- ½ ounce maraschino liqueur
- 1½ ounces citrus-flavored vodka
- Ice
- Cherry for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice, cranberry juice cocktail, maraschino liqueur, orange liqueur, and citrus vodka.
- Add the ice and shake.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with a cherry.
Violet Cosmo
The delicate floral flavors of crème de violette (violet liqueur) and berry notes of crème de cassis add interesting colors, aromas, and flavors to this version of the cosmo.
Ingredients
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ounce white cranberry juice cocktail
- ½ ounce orange-flavored liqueur
- ¼ ounce crème de cassis
- ¼ ounce crème de violette
- 1½ ounces citrus-flavored vodka
- Ice
- Lavender sprig for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice, cranberry juice cocktail, crème de cassis, crème de violette, orange liqueur, and citrus vodka.
- Add the ice and shake.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with a cherry.
Green Machine Cosmopolitan
If the Incredible Hulk liked cosmos, one might suspect this bright green version would be his favorite.
Ingredients
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce white cranberry juice cocktail
- ½ ounce orange-flavored liqueur
- ½ ounce Midori
- 1½ ounces citrus-flavored vodka
- Ice
- Cherry for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice, cranberry juice cocktail, Midori, orange liqueur, and citrus vodka.
- Add the ice and shake.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with a cherry.
Pro-Tip for More Cosmo Deliciousness: Add Bitters
Looking to level up your cosmo game even more? Try adding a few dashes of flavored cocktail bitters to the cocktail shaker. Two dashes with impart aromatics and flavor without adding bitterness. Some flavors to try:
- Cardamom
- Ginger
- Orange
- Cinnamon
- Lavender
- Grapefruit
- Yuzu
- Coriander
- Peppercorn
- Rosemary
- Thyme
Create Your Own Cosmopolitan Cocktail
When ordering a cosmo at a bar, don't be afraid to specify which type of vodka and orange liqueur you prefer, just as you would for a regular vodka martini. While it may be pink, this is a cocktail to be taken seriously.
