Cosmopolitan Drink Recipe (2024)

A Cosmopolitan Drink is perfect when you want to serve a really classy co*cktail with some sweetness and holiday color to it! Triple sec orange liqueur, shaken not stirred with cranberry juice, fresh lime and vodka… ah, what could be better?

A tasty co*cktail needs great ingredients and a good recipe to get the proportions right. It’s important when making classic drinks like the Martini, Mojito, or Moscow Mule, to measure correctly and then tweak if you’d like.

Fortunately, it’s not at all hard to mix and measure perfectly. We’ve got you covered.

Cosmopolitan Drink Recipe (1)

What’s in a Cosmopolitan?

Just a few easy to find ingredients and you’ll have the perfect cosmopolitan in hand!

  • Vodka – Use Vodka Citron if desired or go for Tito’s!
  • Triple Sec – This is an orange flavored liqueur and it adds a bit of sweetness. Sub in a splash of cointreau (you won’t be sorry you spent the extra, it’s delicious) or even grand marnier. Stay away from artificial curacaos in brightly dyed colors. They can pack a wallop, and not in a good way!
  • Cranberry Juice – Try 100% cranberry juice or good old “cranberry juice co*cktail” will do just fine for a sweeter cosmopolitan drink.
  • Lime Juice – Squeeze limes or juice them, but whatever you do, don’t use lime juice concentrate as you find in those little green lime shaped bottles! If you ever try them side by side, you’ll never buy those bottles again!

Cosmopolitan Drink Recipe (2)

Shaken vs Stirred?

The endless debates about whether to shake or stir, stir or shake…are frankly a bit pretentious.

  • Shaken: If you like a drink frosty cold, shake it in ice, and strain quickly so it doesn’t get diluted. Add salt later… if putting a teensy bit of salt in co*cktails is even your thing.
  • Stirred: Stirring is great if you are very particular about your drinks not getting the least bit cloudy or the tiniest bit diluted.

Personally, I love co*cktails icy cold so I say…shaken, not stirred!

How to Make a Cosmopolitan

Start by getting your martini glass frosty in the freezer! Then start prepping your classic co*cktail.

  1. Fill a co*cktail shaker with ice. (If you don’t own a co*cktail shaker, a very clean travel mug with a lid and spout does the job perfectly!)
  2. Add all the ingredients and shake like crazy until frosty cold. Strain into a frosted martini glass and garnish as desired. That’s all there is to it!

You can see for yourself how simple it is to make this classic co*cktail. Follow the recipe below for the perfect proportions! Enjoy it with friends and family for New Year’s, Christmas, or any time of the year! Happy Holidays!

To prepare batches ahead of time: Mix all of the ingredients in a container with a using 1 cup vodka, 1/2 cup triple sec, 1/2 cup cranberry juice and 1/4 cup lime juice. To serve, pour each serving into a martini shaker and shake until icy cold. Strain into a martini glass and serve.

More Classic co*cktails

  • French 75– perfectly bubbly!
  • Moscow Mule – classic & refreshing co*cktail
  • Easy Mimosa Recipe – lots of great variations
  • Classic Martini– made with just 3 ingredients
  • White Russian co*cktail – sweet & creamy co*cktail!
  • Shirley Temple Drink – virgin or dirty!

Cosmopolitan Drink Recipe (3)

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Cosmopolitan Drink Recipe

A Cosmopolitan Drink is a classy co*cktail with some sweetness and holiday color to it!

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Cosmopolitan Drink Recipe (4)

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Cosmopolitan Drink Recipe (6)

Author Holly Nilsson

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces vodka
  • 1 ounce triple sec
  • 1 ounce cranberry juice
  • ½ ounce lime juice

Instructions

  • Place a martini glass in the freezer.

  • Fill a co*cktail shaker with ice and add all ingredients. Shake well at least 30 seconds to chill.

  • Pour into prepared martini glass. Garnish with a lemon rind.

4.50 from 8 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 235 | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin C: 7mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Cosmopolitan Drink Recipe (7) Course Beverage

Cosmopolitan Drink Recipe (8) Cuisine American

© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.

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Cosmopolitan Drink Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Cosmopolitan Drink Recipe? ›

vodka, 1 oz. cranberry juice co*cktail, ¾ oz fresh lime juice, and ¾ oz. triple sec in a co*cktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice, cover, and shake vigorously until outside of shaker is very cold, about 20 seconds.

What's a cosmopolitan drink made of? ›

vodka, 1 oz. cranberry juice co*cktail, ¾ oz fresh lime juice, and ¾ oz. triple sec in a co*cktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice, cover, and shake vigorously until outside of shaker is very cold, about 20 seconds.

How to make your own cosmopolitan? ›

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.

Which vodka is best for cosmopolitan? ›

What Is the Best Vodka for a Cosmo? While purists will insist on a lemon-accented citron vodka such as Absolut Citron (and I recommend as much), there are more than a few ways to approach the cosmopolitan. The citrus accents to the vodka are somewhat key, however, unless you want to add lemon juice on your own.

How to make a New York cosmo? ›

Combine the vodka, cranberry juice, orange liqueur, and lime juice with ice in a co*cktail shaker. Shake to combine and chill. Pour into 2 glasses filled with ice, and garnish each with 1 twist of lime. Serve immediately.

Can you use Grand Marnier instead of Cointreau in a Cosmopolitan? ›

Grand Marnier is aged from cognac and therefore considered a curaçao style triple sec, while Cointreau is unaged and made from a neutral spirit. Because of this production difference, Grand Marnier is heavier and a bit sweeter. So can you still use it in your Cosmo recipe? Sure!

Is triple sec and Cointreau the same thing? ›

While Grand Marnier and Cointreau are brand names of specific products, Triple Sec is actually a category in and of itself. Many brands make Triple Sec — in fact, Cointreau itself is a triple sec. The alcohol content in different types of Triple Sec vary quite a bit – from about 15 percent to as much as 40 percent.

What's the main alcohol in a Cosmopolitan? ›

Cosmopolitan co*cktails are a classic, elegant vodka co*cktail made famous by the ladies of Sex and the City! Not to sweet, not too tart, super quick to make made with cranberry juice, lime juice, vodka and cointreau. Serve this for elegant pre dinner drinks, to ring in the New Year or an evening in with the girls!

What can you substitute for triple sec in a Cosmopolitan? ›

Easy triple sec substitutions to try
  • Grand Marnier. Grand Marnier is our top triple sec substitution. ...
  • Cointreau. Cointreau liqueur also makes a great substitute for triple sec. ...
  • Curaçao. ...
  • Combier Liqueur d'Orange. ...
  • Maraschino Liqueur. ...
  • Orange extract. ...
  • Grenadine. ...
  • St-Germain.
May 11, 2023

Is A Cosmopolitan stronger than a martini? ›

The Cosmopolitan is a great option for those who prefer sweeter drinks, while the Martini is a more classic and sophisticated choice for those who prefer a stronger, more complex flavour profile.

Which is better margarita or Cosmopolitan? ›

It's Essentially a Margarita

Made with vodka, fresh lime juice, Cointreau and cranberry juice, the Cosmopolitan is essentially the love child of a Margarita and a Vodka Cran. If you're a devoted fan of either co*cktail—especially the Margarita—you should give the Cosmopolitan another try.

Which is better in a Cosmo Cointreau or Grand Marnier? ›

In our opinion, Cointreau is more versatile in co*cktails.

Grand Marnier is much heavier, which can throw off a lighter style co*cktail like a Corpse Reviver #2 or Cosmopolitan.

Which is better in a Cosmo triple sec or Cointreau? ›

Cointreau is more expensive, but also has a more complex, smooth flavor. I use it in most of my co*cktail recipes (rather than Triple Sec), especially when I'm serving a drink that is served straight up – like this Cosmopolitan.

What's the difference between a cosmo and a Cosmopolitan? ›

A cosmopolitan, or simply "cosmo," is a vodka co*cktail made with triple sec, cranberry juice, and lime juice. The drink was invented in the 1930s, but rose in popularity in the 1990s. It became even more fashionable after it was frequently featured on Sex and the City.

What drinks are similar to a Cosmopolitan? ›

  • 1 THE CHAMPAGNE FLOAT. First, take that sticky summer staple the root-beer float, then remove both the root beer and the vanilla ice cream, and finally, substitute massive quantities of champagne and coconut sorbet. ...
  • 2 THE RUBY FOO. ...
  • 3 THE GINGER LIME DROP. ...
  • 4 THE VALENTINI.

Is a Cosmopolitan drink considered a martini? ›

A Cosmopolitan or Cosmo co*cktail is a drink made with GREY GOOSE® L'Orange Flavored Vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice and lime juice. It is often served in a martini co*cktail glass, but that alone doesn't make it a martini co*cktail. To be considered a vodka martini co*cktail, the drink must contain vodka and vermouth.

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