Classic Cosmopolitan Cocktail

The perfect mix of sweet and sour, this 4 ingredient classic cosmopolitan cocktail is at its best served in a chilled martini glass with a little slice of lime!

Jump to:

Why You'll Love It
The Ingredients
Frequently Asked Questions
Classic Cosmopolitan Cocktail

Why You'll Love It

The Cosmo - It's a classic go to bevy. But why is it so beloved at Happy Hours everywhere?

First off, I was completely unaware that this traditional "Girls' Night" beverage was so easy and simple to make! You literally just add everything into a cocktail shaker over ice, shake shake shake, and pour into a martini glass with a slice of lime. Et voila!

But maybe even more importantly, did you know that a classic cosmopolitan cocktail only takes four ingredients? I shall repeat...four ingredients?!

Classic Cosmopolitan Cocktail in martini glasses with lime wedge on white marble

The Ingredients

Speaking of just 4 ingredients:

The best cosmo ever will have freshly squeezed lime juice. Otherwise it just isn't the same!
A splash of orange liqueur is 100% necessary. I like Cointreau best, but then again I use that in all my margarita recipes (as opposed to Triple Sec).
Your favorite Vodka. I'm not a big Vodka drinker myself but of the few I've tried, Skyy Vodka is a solid choice.
Last but not least, cranberry juice. This gives a cosmo it's token pink coloring.

So really when you think about it, a classic cosmopolitan cocktail is like a cranberry margarita but swap the tequila for vodka. Who knew?

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sub the vodka for gin?

Sure! Apparently, the cosmo we know and love today evolved from a gin based cosmopolitan in the 1930's so really you're just taking the cocktail back to its roots.

Does it matter if I use cranberry juice or cranberry juice cocktail?

YES. Yes it does. Cranberry Juice usually has no added sugar. Cranberry Juice Cocktail on the other hand is much sweeter. I like to use cranberry Juice and adjust the sweetness with Cointreau, but a lot of people prefer to use Cranberry Juice Cocktail.

I'm making this for a group of people. What amounts do I need for a pitcher full?

Unless you tell me the exact number of people you're serving or the amount your pitcher can hold, I can't be certain. The recipe serves 1 so simply multiply by the number of servings you want to have! A good rule for a group is to make 8ish servings, in which case multiply the recipe ingredient amounts below by 8.