Cosmopolitan Drink Ingredients
The best cosmopolitan recipe only has four ingredients, so you want them to be good! For all the measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post. If you have a wonderful Dorothy in your life, make her this great Cosmo Cocktail for one of you next girls’ nights. It is made with simple to find ingredients, and while you might only order when you and she are in cocktail lounges, it couldn’t be more simple to make right in your own home.
Vodka: Using good-quality vodka is very important in this recipe, since it is the base of the recipe. Fortunately, there is a great vodka at every price point. Read my recommendations below. Orange liqueur: Cointreau or Grand Marnier are good quality orange liqueurs. In a pinch or on a budget, triple sec will work. I share more on your choices below. Fresh lime juice: Using juice from fresh limes is always best for cocktails. I will admit that when I’m out, I reach for the bottled lime juice, and if you can’t make it to the store that will also work here. Cranberry cocktail: We want to the other ingredients to shine through so we are using just a splash of cranberry juice. Traditionally, 100% unsweetened cranberry juice is very tart. So instead, I recommend using a cranberry cocktail for this recipe which is a blend of cranberry juice with other fruit juices, making a sweeter and less-tart juice. Ocean Spray makes my favorite cranberry juice cocktail.
More Classic Cocktails
If you are looking for more great martini recipes, check out these classics! Grey Goose and Belvedere are my recommendations for top shelf vodka, and Tito’s is my recommendation for a budget-friendly vodka. If you are on a budget, but you want to get that high end taste, I highly recommend Costco’s Kirkland brand vodka. It is extremely smooth, and in blind taste tests it has beaten out Grey Goose. For this cosmo recipe, because the liquor is such a prominent ingredient, I recommend shying away from citrus-flavored vodka. The other ingredients in the cocktail will allow the citrus to shine through. And flavored vodkas tend to be lower in quality than the others I’ve listed here. I highly recommend investing in a bottle of Cointreau. I use it in my famous Margarita Recipe, and it really does take cocktails to the next level. To achieve a chilled cocktail glass, fill the martini glasses with ice and then top with water. Put the glasses in the refrigerator for as short as 10 minutes or as long as a few hours. While any amount of time will help keep the drink stay cold, letting them sit longer will keep your drink colder longer. Dump out the ice and water, and wipe down the glasses before straining your martini ingredients into the chilled glass and enjoy a cocktail that stays cooler longer.
The classic Dirty Martini has the perfect ratio of ingredients. The dirtier the better! Fruity and tart, the Lemon Drop Martini will make you feel like you are at a high end bar right in your own home. Gin Martini is perfect for gin lovers! Follow my tips to make this cocktail absolutely perfect. My French Martini is a delicious and easy choice!
If you try this cosmopolitan cocktail recipe or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think! I love hearing from you!
