The 222 Cosmo Recipe

Chill the glass

Place a coupe or martini glass in the freezer for at least 5 minutes or fill it with ice water while you prepare the cocktail to ensure the drink stays cold.

Combine ingredients

In a cocktail shaker, add 2 oz vodka, 0.75 oz Cointreau, 0.5 oz fresh lime juice, 1 oz white cranberry juice, 0.25 oz simple syrup, and 2 dashes of orange bitters.

Add ice

Fill the shaker with ice (about 1 cup or enough to come within an inch of the shaker rim).

Shake

Secure the shaker and shake vigorously for 12–15 seconds until the exterior is well-chilled and slightly frosted. This both chills and dilutes to the proper balance.

Prepare glass

If you used ice water to chill the glass, discard it now. If the glass was frozen, remove it from the freezer just before straining.

Double strain and serve

Using a Hawthorne or fine strainer, pour the cocktail into the chilled coupe or martini glass. Double-strain if you used crushed ice or want an extra-silky texture.

Express the oils of a lime peel (or lemon twist) over the surface of the drink by holding the peel skin-side down about 3 inches above the glass and giving it a quick bend to release the oils.

Rub the peel around the rim if desired, then drop the peel into the drink or hang it on the rim. Optionally, add a Luxardo cherry on a pick and rest it across the inside edge of the glass.

Serve immediately while cold. Recommend serving as a single 1 cocktail portion.

White cranberry juice gives a paler, sophisticated hue compared with regular cranberry juice. If unavailable, use regular cranberry juice but reduce to 0.75 oz to avoid overpowering the citrus.

Adjust simple syrup to taste if you prefer a drier or sweeter Cosmo. For a drier version, omit the syrup and increase lime by 0.25 oz.