Cosmopolitan Recipe
Cosmopolitan, a classic cocktail.
How to Make a Cosmopolitan at Home
The Cosmopolitan is a classic cocktail that is great for the home bartender because it doesn't require any hard-to-find unique ingredients or specialized skills.
It should have wide appeal to guests at you home bar as it features classic flavors and has vodka as a base spirit (one of the most neutral spirits of all).
A Note About Recipe Amounts and Ingredients
When you look up cocktail recipes online you'll often see varying amounts of ingredients (and even types of ingredients). For example, you'll see Cosmopolitan recipes that range in total volume from 2.5 ounces all the way up to 6 ounces.
That's quite a range.
You'll see them with regular vodka, orange vodka and lemon vodka. You'll see them with an orange twist or a lime twist. There are as many Cosmopolitan recipes as there are websites, it seems. In many ways, cocktail recipes are like other recipes and each creator has a unique twist or take on the finished product.
What Really Matters in a Cocktail
Always bear in mind that there will be variations when you search for cocktail recipes of any kind. The most important thing to keep in mind is balance. A good cocktail is a well-balanced cocktail. So if you just increase the vodka, for example, and nothing else in the drink, it may fall out of balance. You may personally enjoy it, but it will be spirit-forward and not necessarily what a guest may be expecting in a Cosmopolitan.
All of this to say that you may need to test a few variations of ingredient amounts and ingredient types until you find that one that's right for you. Here at the Grand One Lounge I aim for the most classic cocktail recipe proportions to share as a good starting point (but sometimes even that can be a challenge).
The Cosmopolitan.
Cosmopolitan Recipe
1-1/2 oz vodka
3/4 oz Triple Sec
3/4 oz lime juice (fresh squeezed)
3/4 oz cranberry juice
The Cosmopolitan is shaken with ice and then served in a chilled martini glass.
Add all ingredients to a shaker (or whatever you have on hand to do the job) and add approximately a cup of ice cubes. Shake for 15 seconds to chill the cocktail, then strain into a cold martini glass (or any glass of choice).
I keep the glasses in the bar fridge ahead of time, but you can also fill the glass with crushed ice and cold water for a brief period to chill it down (a common bartender move).
Garnish the Cosmopolitan with a lime twist (since you will have a lime on hand, just be sure to hold back a piece for the garnish before you crush the lime) or an orange twist if you prefer (which will complement the Triple Sec).
Can you substitute Cointreau or Grand Marnier for the Triple Sec?
Here’s my take on substitutions. Triple Sec, Grand Marnier and Cointreau are all variations of orange liqueur. Cointreau is a branded triple sec (generally a little higher quality), while Grand Marnier is a blend of cognac and triple sec. So Grand Marnier will add a little extra layer of complexity to the cocktail if you go that route. But any of these three will provide the orange flavoring required. You can read more about Cointreau versus Triple Sec versus Grand Marnier in this blog post.
By Mike Belobradic
Wine, Spirits and Beer Virtuoso
Grand One Lounge