Feel glamorous when you sip on a perfectly concocted Cosmopolitan drink! This classic drink is sweet, tangy, and made with just the right amount of vodka to get the party started. You’ll love the pretty pink hue of this cocktail almost as much as you love the smooth flavor!

Two martini glasses are filled with pink cosmos.


Cosmopolitan

Let’s be honest… We all watched Sex and the City and wanted to sip in style like Carrie Bradshaw at least once, right? Well, while she’s overpaying for cosmos in the city, we can all make them in the comfort of our own kitchen with a handful of simple (yet fabulous) ingredients. A cosmopolitan features four ingredients, five if you include ice. It’s so simple, classic, and fun!

If you’ve never sipped on a cosmo before, you’re in for a real treat. The sweetness in this drink created by the cranberry juice is balanced perfectly by the tangy lime juice. Cointreau and citrus vodka also help to maintain that delightful balance of sweet and tangy flavors. It’s almost like drinking candy, only way less sweet and much more smooth. Oh, and that pink color? Simply stunning.

Making cosmos is a great idea for next time you’re hosting a ladies night at your house. When I have my girlfriends come over, there’s nothing more fun than clinking glasses and saying “cheers” with martini glasses filled with pretty pink cosmos! They’re also so quick and easy to make. I love a good cocktail recipe that’s impressive, but easy enough that I can still make a batch and enjoy my party!

The ingredients for cosmopolitans are placed on a white surface.

How to Make a Cosmopolitan

The Cosmopolitan ingredient list is short and sweet. Pour, shake, sip, and enjoy. Repeat this process as needed!

  1. Pour. Pour the vodka, cointreau, lime juice and cranberry juice into a shaker with ice cubes. Measure each ingredient with care!
  2. Shake. This is the fun part! Attach the lid of your shaker and shake it vigorously for about 30 seconds to combine the liquids and chill the drink.
  3. Strain and serve. Strain the cocktail into a martini glass. Garnish however you’d like – I always think an orange twist looks nice, but there’s room for creativity here. Cheers!
A cosmo is being poured into a martini glass.

Variations to Try

  • You can change the vodka. Don’t have any citrus vodka on hand? No worries, you can swap it with plain vodka instead! You’ll be missing a touch of citrus flavor, but it’ll still be pretty tasty and fruity from all of the other ingredients at play. You can even use berry vodka if you want to play around with the flavor profile even more.
  • You can use Triple Sec instead of Cointreau. Yes, you can substitute Triple Sec for Cointreau. Both are orange flavored liqueurs, but the Cointreau is more balanced and well rounded and will add more depth to the flavor profile.
  • Add a little sweetness if you’d like. While I think this cosmo is sweet enough as it is, it may not be sweet enough for your tastes. And that’s okay! Add a small splash of simple syrup to your shaker if you know you like your drinks on the sweeter side.

Tips for the Best Cosmopolitan Recipe

  • Measure with care. This recipe is pretty perfectly concocted to be the best balance of sweet, tangy, and boozy ingredients. I recommend tasting this cosmo exactly as it’s measured, then deciding if you’d like to make it sweeter or add a second shot of vodka.
  • Use a good quality vodka. Whether you use citrus, berry, or plain vodka, you’ll want to make sure it’s a good quality bottle! While it doesn’t necessarily need to be a top shelf liquor, try to avoid the cheaper bottom shelf options. Those never taste great and they’ll likely give you a killer headache!
A garnished cosmopolitan is placed in front of other ingredients.

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Two martini glasses are filled with pink cosmos.

Get the Recipe: Cosmopolitan Cocktail Recipe

Yield: 1
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 2 minutes
Classic Cosmopolitan Cocktail is fruity and light! Easy to make at home in minutes.
5 from 1 vote
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Ingredients

  • 1 ½ oz citrus vodka
  • 1 ½ oz cointreau
  • 1 oz fresh lime juice
  • ½ oz cranberry juice or cranberry cocktail
  • 4-5 cubes of ice

Garnish options:

  • Lime wheel
  • Orange twist
  • Lime twist
  • fresh/frozen cranberries

Equipment

  • 1 cocktail shaker

Instructions 

  • Into a cocktail shaker add the citrus vodka, cointreau, lime juice, and cranberry juice.
  • Add in the ice cubes. Securely attach the lid of the shaker and shake for 30 seconds, until the contents is well chilled. Strain into a martini glass.
  • Most common garnish options are an orange twist or lime wheel.
Calories: 210kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 0.2g, Fat: 0.04g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g, Sodium: 2mg, Potassium: 45mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 21IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 5mg, Iron: 0.1mg
Author: Kellie
Course: adult beverage, Cocktail
Cuisine: American