Cosmopolitan Recipe
A chic blend of vodka and cranberry with a touch of orange liqueur and lime, served chilled.
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Ingredients
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Cocktail
Garnish & Finish
Ice & Tools
Method
Preparation
Chill glass
Place a martini/coupe glass in the freezer for at least 5 minutes or fill it with ice water while you prepare the cocktail to ensure the drink is served well chilled.
Measure ingredients
Measure 2 oz vodka, 1 oz orange liqueur, 0.5 oz freshly squeezed lime juice, and 1 oz cranberry juice into a cocktail shaker.
Add ice and shake
Fill the shaker with ice (about 6–8 medium cubes). Secure the shaker lid and shake vigorously for 12–15 seconds until the outside of the shaker feels very cold. This chills and slightly dilutes the cocktail for balance.
Strain
Empty the ice or water from your chilled glass. Double-strain the contents of the shaker into the chilled martini/coupe glass using a Hawthorne strainer and, optionally, a fine mesh strainer to remove tiny ice shards and pulp from the lime.
Garnish and finish
Express oils from the orange peel over the drink by holding the peel about 3–4 inches above the glass and giving it a quick twist skin-side down to release the oils across the surface. Rub the peel around the rim if desired, then drop the peel into the drink or discard. Alternatively, garnish with a lime wheel or lime twist on the rim.
Serving
Serve immediately while cold. If you prefer slightly sweeter, use cranberry cocktail; for a tarter cosmopolitan use 100% unsweetened cranberry juice and adjust to taste (add 0.25–0.5 oz simple syrup if too tart).
Optional variation: For a more citrus-forward Cosmopolitan, substitute 0.5 oz fresh orange juice and reduce cranberry to 0.75 oz, keeping other ratios the same.