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World’s Best Cosmopolitan Cocktail

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Why would you want to drink anything other than the World’s Best Cosmopolitan Cocktail? The only thing girly about this cosmo drink is its color.

World's Best Cosmopolitan Cocktail in two martini glasses with limes and oranges in the background.
It might seem a little cocky of me to call this the World’s Best Cosmopolitan Cocktail, but you’re going to have to trust me on this one. Or make it yourself to confirm this is the best cosmo recipe. It’s so refreshing, you just might never drink a different cocktail again.

I have been messing with this cosmopolitan recipe for years. Sure, there are the classic ingredients when it comes to a signature cosmo, but when it comes to making cocktails, it’s all about the execution and the details. Little things matter.

The only problem with being able to make a great cosmopolitan cocktail at home, is how disappointing they taste when you’re out at a bar; they are too sweet, too little alcohol or too sharp tasting. Obviously the better bars and restaurants have better bartenders, but man do they hold back on that alcohol, even for you eighteen dollar drink.

Bottle of Cointreau and Absolut Citron vodka with limes.
One of the easiest ways to make your cocktails taste great is by using top shelf alcohol. There is a huge difference between a bottle of five dollar vodka and forty dollar vodka. And the five dollar vodka will leave you with a nice little hangover.

Your vodka for a cosmopolitan must be a citron version, unflavored vodka will not cut it. Also, stop using triple sec in a cosmopolitan recipe, it has such a sharp taste. Upgrade your bar cabinet with Cointreau and you will never use anything else in your drinks. I even use Cointreau in my mojito and my Hemingway Daiquiri because it makes the drink so FABULOUS! It’s smooth and magical, with a lovely orange nuance.

Citrus squeezer with whole and cut limes.

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Fresh limes are a key ingredient in this drink and one thing I cannot live without in my kitchen is my citrus press. It squeezes your lemons and limes to almost dry. It’s not even possible to get as much juice out when you squeeze with your hands. Even the driest lime will yields lots of juice with this press. And this tool lasts for years and years.

An orange that has been been peeled decoratively with a peeling tool.
A small drink garnish in your cocktail is a nice detail to any drink. With a cosmopolitan I always add an orange peel. This particular zester makes large peels or thin zest, without going into the fruit’s pith.

The orange also leaves a bit of a scent that is picked up by the nose while drinking. It’s a must!

Crushed ice in a blender being scooped out.
A cosmopolitan cocktail needs to be icy cold. And while this drink is shaken vigorously in ice, it benefits from an icy finish in the glass and you don’t want to add regular sized ice cubes.

This is where a high performance blender comes in and the reason they are pricey. You can crush ice to snow cone consistency in 10 seconds.

The crushed ice is then added to a Ziploc freezer bag and kept in my freezer to scoop out when making cocktails. The ice will stick together, but it breaks up easily.

The blender is worth it and it’s ice-crushing abilities undoubtedly make a difference in this drink.

In a pinch, you can smash some ice with a meat mallet in a Ziploc bag. It won’t be the same as finely pulverized ice, but you can get by.

World's Best Cosmopolitan Cocktail in martini glasses with limes and oranges in the background.
How gorgeous is this cocktail? And even though it’s girly pink, the drink itself has a decent amount of alcohol, so even my husband loves this one. He would never order a cosmo in a bar, since it’s often pretty weak, but he asks for this one all the time at home. However, this refreshing drink still remains his favorite cocktail I make at home.

Overhead shot of two of the World's Best Cosmopolitan Cocktails.
If you are have a gender reveal party or a baby shower, this drink couldn’t be more perfect.

Serve this cosmopolitan alongside this blue drink if appropriate for the perfect girl-boy combo.

This cosmopolitan is also a welcome beverage at bridal showers, graduation and birthday celebrations.

Two World's Best Cosmopolitan Cocktails with ice being scooped into them.
After you shake the drink vigorously in a shaker, scoop in the tiny ice for the perfect ending touch.

It’s little things, like the addition of crushed ice, that make this cocktail one of the best.

Two of the World's Best Cosmopolitan Cocktails in martini glasses with limes and oranges in the background.
How many of you started drinking cosmopolitan’s after watching Sex and the City?

I miss that show, but at least we have the drinks.

The perfect girl’s night is reruns of the show and big batch of these cosmopolitans’.

Overhead look at two of the World's Best Cosmopolitan Cocktails.
I feel a girl’s night coming on?

Two separate images of the World's Best Cosmopolitan Cocktail intersected with the words world's best cosmopolitan cocktail written between them.
Cheers everyone…let me know when you make this.

So many cocktails, so little time. This Island Breeze Cocktail has me dreaming of Hawaii. And who doesn’t need a Peach Margarita right about now? However, this Watermelon Basil Gin Cocktail has me craving watermelon season. And give this Ginger Whiskey Cocktail a try soon, I know I am.

Six years ago I made this Buttermilk-Walnut Snack Cake with Praline Frosting, have you made it yet? Seven years ago I tested out this Chicken-Sun Dried Tomato Clafoutis and it was a winner. Eight years ago these Bacon-Peach Pinwheels made my life!

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Cosmopolitan Recipe

Overhead shot of the World's Best Cosmopolitan Cocktail in two glasses.
Print Recipe
5 from 20 votes

World's Best Cosmopolitan Cocktail

Why would you want to drink anything other than the World’s Best Cosmopolitan Cocktail? The only thing girly about this drink is its color.
Prep Time5 mins
Total Time5 mins
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: World's Best Cosmopolitan Cocktail
Servings: 1 cocktail
Calories: 281kcal
Author: Cathy

Ingredients

  • 2.5 oz citron vodka (do not substitute plain vodka)
  • 1.0 oz Cointreau
  • 1.0 oz cranberry juice
  • 0.5 oz fresh lime juice
  • finely crushed ice
  • orange peel for garnish

Instructions

  • Add vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice and fresh lime juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until very cold. Strain into a cold martini glass and finish of with a scoop of very finely, crushed ice. Garnish with an orange peel.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
World's Best Cosmopolitan Cocktail
Amount Per Serving (1 cocktail)
Calories 281
% Daily Value*
Sodium 2.8mg0%
Potassium 43.2mg1%
Carbohydrates 12.5g4%
Fiber 0.4g2%
Sugar 11.2g12%
Protein 0.1g0%
Vitamin C 11.9mg14%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Comments

    • Cheap stuff is generally more likely to be low-quality. Congeners or fusil oils, are a byproduct of the mash fermentation process ~they are impurities. There are hundreds of types of congeners, some are higher-order alcohols (i.e. non-ethanol) that our bodies can’t and don’t really process. Essentially, our bodies treat them as a poison, and a headache is a very common symptom of poison processing. Different people are better or worse at metabolizing and flushing these toxins.

      Because all alcoholic beverages begin with fermentation, any type of alcohol may have congeners. Because cheaper alcoholic beverages begin with lower-quality ingredients, more congeners are likely to be produced at the fermentation stage. One of my favorite vodka’s is Tito’s, it is distilled six times. If you are buying bottom-shelf vodka, you’ll be lucky if it was distilled twice. Scientific evidence supports splurging on the good stuff.

      Reply

      • Some bottom vodkas are distilled 5 times and are labeled as such on the bottle. I still prefer the quality of higher brands for flavour.

        Reply

  2. 5 stars
    Now that you mentioned the pink drink/blue drink thing, you owe us a Blue Hawaiaan recipe. 🙂

    You definitely didn’t go light on the alcohol here. I’ve had cosmos that were red. This is almost blush. I’m getting pleasantly tipsty jut looking at it.

    Now you made me want that lime squisher too!

    Reply

  5. 5 stars
    When I used to bartend I would chill the martini glass before I would pour the cosmopolitan in the glass. As soon as a request was made for a cosmo I would take the martini glass and fill it with ice, put some water in it and have it sit on the bar while I mixed up the drink. I would simply dump out the ice and water and then pour the drink that had been shaken with the ice in the same manner that you described in your recipe.

    Reply

  19. 5 stars
    Interesting twist if you feel like experimenting, though it deviates a little from a classic Cosmo: substitute the citron vodka with a citron gin. I used Tanqueray Rangpur (made from Rangpur Lemons which are a crossing between lemons and bitter oranges), and its unique subtle acidity made the drink absolutely spark.
    Thanks for posting the recipe! Definitely great

    Reply

  20. 5 stars
    DELICIOUS!!!! Made our “girls night” so fun! We had a pre New Years Eve Party and instead of the orange garnish we used sugared cranberries on a small skewered stick… It was festive, beautiful and delicious! Thank you!

    Reply

  21. Can I use unsweetened cranberry juice in place of Ocean Spray cranberry juice cocktail and will I need to adjust the amount of Cointreau and/or citron vodka to keep it from being too sour?

    Reply

    • The Cointreau and vodka will not change the sweet/sour amount, only the cranberry juice and the lime will. With unsweetened cranberry I think you will find this drink too sour, but that’s up to you.

      Reply

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