Yes, it became a late-’90s and early aughts icon thanks to Sex and The City, but don’t let that keep you from serving this perfectly pink Cosmopolitan cocktail recipe at your next party! Likely born sometime in the 1980s, just because the drink rose to fame in the ‘90s doesn’t mean it’s passé — that makes it a modern classic, like the Espresso Martini (another ‘80s baby)! However you think about it, what matters most is how it tastes, and you’re going to LOVE how it tastes. Tart, with a perfect hint of sweetness, this vodka cocktail packs a punch! Our Cosmopolitan recipe serves one, but (like our Perfect Margarita) it’s easy to scale up to serve a crowd.
Classic Cosmo Ingredients
- Vodka: There’s a lot of vodka in a Comso (no wonder Carrie Bradshaw loved them so much) so use a good-quality vodka that you don’t mind actually tasting in the drink itself. You don’t have to break the bank, but don’t go for the bottom-shelf.
- Cointreau: Orange-y and sweet, Cointreau does some major heavy-lifting here. Accept no substitutes!
- Cranberry juice: To be super clear, we want 100% cranberry juice here, not “cranberry cocktail,” which is sort of a different product. Cranberry cocktail has a lot of sugar added, and if you use it to make a Cosmopolitan, your cocktail may turn out too sweet.
- Lime: We told you this was a tart cocktail! It’s pink, sure, but that doesn’t mean it’s sickly sweet. Zingy and bright, a well-made Cosmo is actually a great drink, it should sing with fresh (not pre-squeezed) lime juice.
How To Make The PERFECT Cosmo
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice, and fresh lime juice.
- Shake it like you’re Tom Cruise in Cocktail!
- Strain into a martini glass or coupe.
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