Cosmopolitan Cocktail (New & Improved!)

What’s in a cosmopolitan cocktail? It’s easier to do than you think! This bright pink drink is perfect for celebrations of all kinds.

It’s bright pink in color and has a sparkling, refreshing taste: yes, it’s a Cosmo! A cosmopolitan cocktail to be precise. This great cocktail is ready to spice up your next gathering, whether it’s dinner or a drink on the patio with friends. It was at its peak in the 1990s (Hello, Sex and the City) and sometimes makes purists roll their eyes. BUT! The Cosmo is a real, bitter cocktail that is worth drinking: the beautiful color is a reason in itself. This is where Alex and I gave it a modern twist. That’s how it’s done!

What else in a martini glass? Try our Lemon Drop Martini.

What’s in a Cosmopolitan cocktail?

A Cosmopolitan cocktail is a classic alcoholic beverage that is on the International Bartender Association’s list of official IBA cocktails. The history of the Cosmo is disputed: some claim it was invented in the 1930s, others in the 1970s. (Read all about it if you want to get through.)

What’s in a Cosmo? The classic version of this cocktail uses citron vodka, cranberry juice (usually sweetened), Cointreau, and lime. Why our version of this classic? Continue reading.

Why make our cosmopolitan cocktail recipe

Alex and I have a long list of cocktail recipes that we have compiled for you: the houseman! Our drink recipes are easy to make, so you don’t need to be a cocktail expert! We have many versions of classic cocktails, from Gin Fizz and Whiskey Sour to French 75 and Moscow Mule. Why are we shooting the Cosmopolitan cocktail?

• It’s easy! We combined it with the essential. Instead of having to buy a whole new type of vodka, you can use the standard (more on that below).
• It’s not too sweet and you can adjust the sugar content! The versions you order at a bar contain different amounts of sugar: in this recipe you can create your own recipe. (More on that below as well.)

Should lemon vodka be used in a Cosmo?

A Cosmopolitan cocktail purist would say that a “real” Cosmo uses lemon vodka. It’s a lemon-flavored vodka that brings a nice citrus zest. For our recipe, however, we wanted to use ingredients that everyone would have in their pantry. (We want to keep things pretty simple.) So we used here Standard vodka plus lemon juice. If you already have lemon vodka on hand, be sure to use it here! You can omit the lemon juice.

Unsweetened cranberry juice Cosmo

Traditional versions of a Cosmopolitan cocktail use sweetened cranberry juice. But for our version we used 100% cranberry juice (unsweetened)! There are many variations of cranberry juice on the shelves, and many of them contain added sugar. Labeled bottles Cranberry juice cocktail have added sugar or high fructose corn syrup for added sweetness. Why Use Unsweetened Cranberry Juice?

• It has less sugar and you can adjust the sweetness. Use 100% juice and you can adjust the sweetness of the drink by adding maple syrup or plain syrup. We like to use maple syrup as a sweetener because it’s all natural and offers a more gentle sweetness.
• The color is lighter. The color of this Cosmo is electric pink because 100% juice is a deeper color.

Using 100% juice means you can sweeten to your liking.

The sugar content in a Cosmopolitan cocktail usually comes from using sweetened cranberry juice. Alex and I like our drinks sour and don’t like drinking a lot of added sugar. We also had 100% cranberry juice on hand from our cranberry champagne cocktail.

100% cranberry juice makes a crisp and flavorful Cosmo drink. We said to add 1 teaspoon maple syrup or plain syrup, but you can make it tart or a little sweeter if you like. Alex and I prefer maple syrup because it offers a milder sweetness, and we use it in many of our recipes. But if you have plain syrup on hand, you can use that as well.

What other drinks use cranberry juice?

Want to use up the leftover cranberry juice? There are many great cranberry cocktail recipes related to this! Here are a few ideas:

• Madras Madras features vodka, cranberries and orange juice for a sparkling, tart drink. It is very similar to the Cosmo!
• Vodka Cranberry One of the easiest cocktails ever: vodka and cranberry juice on the rocks with a squeeze of lime.
• Cranberry Champagne Cocktail Add some champagne instead of vodka and you have a party cocktail that kills! Or try the cranberry mimosa for brunch.
• Rum & Cranberry uses rum, Cointreau and lime juice for a sweet and balanced drink.
• Sea Breeze or Bay Breeze Breezes are classic refreshing cocktails perfect for al fresco sipping, casual happy hour or brunch. Sea Breeze offers grapefruit juice and Bay Breeze offers the tropical taste of pineapple.

When to serve a Cosmopolitan cocktail

This cosmopolitan cocktail is fun and festive. It’s great like: