10 Cosmopolitan Drink Variations You Have To Try Now

 

Most girls have tried the cosmopolitan drink because it is considered a girly drink for most parties that involve women. But the truth is that it suits a lot of occasions, for both men and women. When a cosmopolitan drink is made perfectly, there is no way you’d ask for other cocktail drinks to quench your thirst. Yes! This drink is very delicious that one shot will never be enough to enjoy the night.

What Is a Cosmopolitan?

A cosmopolitan or “cosmo” is a cocktail drink that is often served in bars where girls hang out with their friends. It didn’t get much attention until it was introduced many times in the show Sex and the City. Since then, people have started to make their own versions of this drink although the original recipe only includes vodka, orange liqueur, cranberry juice, and lime juice. 

The lime juice gives a sour flavor to the drink while the vodka gives a certain burning flavor in a cosmopolitan recipe. On the other hand, orange liqueur gives a bitter orange and spices to balance out the sour taste of the cranberry juice. Overall, a cosmopolitan drink contains four flavors that you can easily make today.

The cosmopolitan cocktail ingredients must be chosen carefully in order not to mess up the whole cocktail. For example, the orange liqueur or vodka used must not be the ones sold at a cheaper price because they are the ones made of artificial ingredients. If you don’t know how to choose the ones right for your cosmopolitan cocktail ingredients, don’t worry because we have compiled the best brands to use including the procedures. Choose the cosmopolitan variation below that you are most interested in drinking!

What Are the Different Cosmopolitan Recipes?

1. Classic Cosmopolitan

The original or classic recipe of cosmopolitan is the first thing that we are going to reveal to you. This one is very easy to make knowing that it is labeled as a girly drink with no added ingredients that will make the procedures complicated. Most bartenders received cosmopolitan orders almost every day from their customers, may it be men or women. Of course, everyone wants a citrus-flavored cocktail because it is very refreshing to drink.

However, you need to make sure that the added ingredients such as lime and cranberries are not too much because they are only mixed in order to give flavors to the drink. When these ingredients are added heavily, you are likely to end up tasting a lime or cranberry juice, and not the classic cosmopolitan cocktail. We have the right measurement below, just follow the simple recipes and procedures and you’re good to go. 

Classic Cosmopolitan

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces vodka
  • 1 ounce Cointreau
  • ¾ ounce lime juice
  • ¾ ounce triple sec
  • ½ ounce cranberry juice
  • Ice cubes or crushed ice
  • Lime wedges (for garnish)

In making fresh lime juice, you will need to cut the lime into two and use a squeezer to get the juice out of the lime. Add a small amount of sugar, salt, and water and stir until the added ingredients dissolve.  

In making cranberry juice, you will need to boil it in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes or until the cranberries pop. Use a strainer and slightly push the cranberries to get all the juices. Put in a jar and refrigerate. 

Directions

  1. Use a cocktail shaker to mix the ingredients such as vodka, triple sec, lime juice, cranberry juice, and Cointreau for 10-15 seconds.
  2. Add the ice cubes and shake again until cold.
  3. In a copper mug, pour another set of ice cubes and strain the mixture from the cocktail shaker.
  4. Garnish with some lime wedges and serve.

2. White Cosmopolitan

If you prefer the clearer variation or water-like cosmopolitan, this white cosmopolitan is for you. It is really a beautiful cocktail that uses white cranberry instead of red ones. So, instead of turning your cosmopolitan into a pink cocktail, this one is colorless. This cosmopolitan drink variation can be used for all types of occasions including weddings. It is also right for men because it’s not made up of pink color so it won’t be labeled as a girly drink. 

It has the same ingredients as the classic cosmopolitan with a little twist of adding St. Germain elderflower liqueur. This drink is made up of over 1000 flowers with herbal notes that add floral taste and smoothness to your cosmopolitan drink. You don’t have to worry about its alcoholic content because it only contains 20% ABV, thus not making this drink very alcoholic in nature. However, this elderflower liqueur is optional, but it will surely make a difference to your drink if this is included in the recipe. 

White Cosmopolitan

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces vodka
  • ½ ounce St. Germain elderflower liqueur
  • ¾ ounce lime juice
  • ¾ ounce triple sec
  • ½ ounce white cranberry juice
  • ½ teaspoon simple syrup
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • Ice cubes or crushed ice
  • 3 cranberries on a toothpick (for garnish)

In making fresh lime juice, you will need to cut the lime into two and use a squeezer to get the juice out of the lime. Add a small amount of sugar, salt, and water and stir until the added ingredients dissolve.  

In making cranberry juice, you will need to boil it in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes or until the cranberries pop. Use a strainer and slightly push the cranberries to get all the juices. Put in a jar and refrigerate. 

In making the simple syrup, set to medium heat, and combine the sugar and the water in a saucepan. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Let it cool before using the mixture for the next steps.

Directions

  1. Use a cocktail shaker to mix the ingredients such as vodka, lime juice, triple sec, cranberry juice, simple syrup, and St. Germain elderflower liqueur for 10-15 seconds.
  2. Add the ice cubes and shake again until cold.
  3. In a copper mug, pour another set of ice cubes and strain the mixture from the cocktail shaker.
  4. Garnish with cranberries on a toothpick dust with sugar and serve.

3. Black Cosmopolitan

The next cosmopolitan recipe is the total opposite of white cosmo. It has a black color that goes well with people who love dark cocktails. The reason why it contains a very dark color is that it uses black vodka that overpowers the color of other ingredients included in this recipe. Its taste is the same as the regular vodka which has a smooth finish with a hint of herbal notes. However, its dark color will give a mysterious impression on people consuming it. 

Black cosmopolitan is best when you are hosting dark-themed parties. It is the perfect cocktail too for people who want to drink a sweet and sour cocktail from the combination of triple sec and cranberry juice. But if you’re not a fan of black vodka, there is still an alternative way to turn regular cosmopolitan into black through the use of black grapes. Use black grapes if you want to add sweetness to your cocktail because it has naturally sweet flavors, unlike vodka.

Black Cosmopolitan

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces black vodka (black grape juice)
  • ½ ounce orange-flavored liqueur
  • ¼ ounce lime juice
  • Dash of triple sec
  • ½ ounce Cointreau
  • 4 ounces cranberry juice
  • Ice cubes or crushed ice
  • Black grapes on a toothpick (for garnish)

Directions

  1. Use a cocktail shaker to mix the ingredients such as black vodka or black grape juice, orange-flavored liqueur, lime juice, triple sec, cranberry juice, and Cointreau, for 10-15 seconds.
  2. Add the ice cubes and shake again until cold.
  3. In a copper mug, pour another set of ice cubes and strain the mixture from the cocktail shaker.
  4. Garnish with black grapes on a toothpick and serve.

4. Strawberry Cosmopolitan

If you happen to love strawberries, this one goes well for your cosmopolitan drink. This is very delicious because of the fruity aroma and ripe taste that burst in your mouth when consumed as a drink. Strawberry is also one of the best fruits to use in your cocktail because it comes with a lot of juice. If you would like to decrease the acidity in the strawberries that you will use for your drinks, you better pick the ripe ones. In this way, you will be able to enjoy the sweetness more than the other flavors. 

Just make sure that the strawberries are fresh so you can also feel the freshness of the cosmopolitan when consumed. Don’t forget to buy a vodka that is made of high-quality ingredients too because it is one of the most important ingredients that can help create a delicious taste for your strawberry cosmopolitan. But with a lot of vodkas sold on the market and even online, it may be hard for you to know what tastes best. Good thing you can follow the brand we have used for this strawberry cosmopolitan recipe below. 

Strawberry Cosmopolitan

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces vodka
  • 1 ounce Cointreau
  • ¼ ounce lime juice
  • 3 ounces strawberry puree
  • 1 tbsp simple syrup 
  • Ice cubes or crushed ice
  • Strawberry on a toothpick (for garnish)

Directions

  1. In a blender, blend the strawberries to make a strawberry puree. Blend for 15-30 seconds or until smooth.
  2. Use a cocktail shaker to mix the ingredients such as strawberry puree, vodka, Cointreau, lime juice, and simple syrup for 10-15 seconds.
  3. Add the ice cubes and shake again until cold.
  4. In a copper mug, pour another set of ice cubes and strain the mixture from the cocktail shaker.
  5. Garnish with a strawberry on a toothpick and serve.

5. French Cosmopolitan

If you are one of the few people who dislike Cointreau in your cocktail, there is an alternative ingredient for that for your cosmopolitan drink. This recipe comes from Paris that’s why it is named French Cosmopolitan. So instead of using Cointreau, you only need the Grand Marnier that tastes exactly like orange brandy. The French cosmopolitan cocktail ingredients only need 3 recipes namely orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier, vodka, and any type of citrus juice of your choice. 

Moreover, you can add a grenadine that will give tart and sweet flavors to your cocktail. Since one of the main ingredients is citrus fruits which are known for their sour and acidic taste, you will need a syrup like a grenadine. The inclusion of this ingredient will give a sweet taste to your cocktail to balance all the flavors. Grenadine has a deep red color and together with the color of the cranberry juice, it will give extra red color to your cocktail drink. For garnish, you can either choose the peel or wedges used for your citrus juice. 

French Cosmopolitan

Ingredients

In making fresh lime juice, you will need to cut the lime into two and use a squeezer to get the juice out of the lime. Add a small amount of sugar, salt, and water and stir until the added ingredients dissolve.  

In making cranberry juice, you will need to boil it in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes or until the cranberries pop. Use a strainer and slightly push the cranberries to get all the juices. Put in a jar and refrigerate. 

Directions

  1. Use a cocktail shaker to mix the ingredients such as vodka, Grand Marnier, lime juice, sour mix, cranberry juice, and crushed ice, for 10-15 seconds.
  2. Add the ice cubes and shake again until cold.
  3. In a copper mug, pour another set of ice cubes and strain the mixture from the cocktail shaker.
  4. In the center of the copper mug, add a few drops of grenadine syrup.
  5. Garnish with lime wedges and serve.

6. Blue Cosmo

One of the best colors of cocktails is blue. Most especially if you are enjoying the drink outdoors like on the beach or at a simple pool party with family and friends. And you don’t have to worry about the procedure of making a blue cosmo because it has the same ingredients as the regular cosmopolitan cocktail, but of course with the addition of blue curacao that gives off the bluish color. 

Rather than using the regular triple sec which is colorless, the blue curacao will give a pretty blue color with a bit of bitterness and sweetness. You can either use both cranberry and lime juice or skip the lime juice if you don’t want much sourness and acidity in your cocktails. Just make sure that you use white cranberries instead of the regular ones to avoid the red color from mixing with the drink. You won’t likely experience a burning feeling when consuming blue cosmo because it has a smooth finish that everyone will surely like. 

Blue Cosmo

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces vodka
  • 1 ounce blue curacao
  • ¼ ounce lime juice
  • 1 ounce white cranberry juice
  • Ice cubes or crushed ice
  • Lime wedges or lemon twist (for garnish)

In making fresh lime juice, you will need to cut the lime into two and use a squeezer to get the juice out of the lime. Add a small amount of sugar, salt, and water and stir until the added ingredients dissolve.  

In making white cranberry juice, you will need to boil it in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes or until the cranberries pop. Use a strainer and slightly push the cranberries to get all the juices. Put in a jar and refrigerate. 

Directions

  1. Use a cocktail shaker to mix the ingredients such as vodka, blue curacao, lime juice, white cranberry juice, and crushed ice, for 10-15 seconds.
  2. Add the ice cubes and shake again until cold.
  3. In a copper mug, pour another set of ice cubes and strain the mixture from the cocktail shaker.
  4. Garnish with lime wedges or lemon twist and serve.

7. Cosmocello

Tired of using lime juice for your cosmopolitan cocktail ingredients? Don’t worry, you can use limoncello instead for that extra citrusy flavor for your drink. It can also save you from spending much because you no longer have to buy a citrus-flavored vodka, knowing that limoncello is already a liqueur made from lemons. Limoncello only has 28-32% alcohol content because it is traditionally meant for digestive stimulation. Unlike vodka which has 40% ABV, which reminds you to drink responsibly if you don’t want to get drunk.

In order to highlight the citrus flavors of this drink, you will need to add white wine to its ingredients. Unlike red wines which have a bitter taste because of their tannins, the white wine contains citrus flavors with some hints of floral. You can also opt to include Cointreau in your recipe to get the bitter taste of orange peel and a little bit of sweetness for its orange juice. Here is the guide below as to how you can make cosmocello at home. 

Cosmocello

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces vodka
  • 1 ounce limoncello
  • 1 ounce cranberry juice
  • ½ ounce dry white wine
  • Ice cubes or crushed ice
  • 1 ounce Cointreau (optional)
  • Lime or lemon wedges (for garnish)

Directions

  1. Use a cocktail shaker to mix the ingredients such as vodka, limoncello, Cointreau, lime juice, dry white wine,  cranberry juice, and crushed ice, for 10-15 seconds.
  2. Add the ice cubes and shake again until cold.
  3. In a copper mug, pour another set of ice cubes and strain the mixture from the cocktail shaker.
  4. Garnish with lime or lemon wedges and serve.

8. Raspberry Cosmopolitan

If you love raspberries, this cosmopolitan recipe is definitely for you. You simply need to replace the cranberries with raspberries in the classic cosmopolitan ingredients and you’re good to go. Since raspberries are both tart and sweet, it matches perfectly with lime juice which has sweet and acidic flavors too. Instead of buying orange liqueur, you should choose raspberry liqueur to burst the raspberry taste that you like best for your cocktail.

Make sure to pick the raspberries that are already ripe because picking the ones which are underripe will make this fruit tarter. Unlike when they are ripe, which gives the sweeter taste that will intensify the flavors in your cocktail. Since the color of raspberry is pink, you can also expect a pink cocktail that is perfect for every night out with girls or with your loved ones during Valentine’s and anniversary celebrations. 

pomegranate cosmopolitan

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces vodka
  • 1 ounce frozen raspberry
  • 1 ounce cranberry juice
  • ½ ounce lime juice
  • 1 ounce Cointreau (optional)
  • Ice cubes or crushed ice
  • Raspberry slices (for garnish)

In making fresh lime juice, you will need to cut the lime into two and use a squeezer to get the juice out of the lime. Add a small amount of sugar, salt, and water and stir until the added ingredients dissolve. 

Directions

  1. Use a cocktail shaker to muddle the frozen raspberry and mix with the ingredients such as vodka, Cointreau, lime juice,  cranberry juice, and crushed ice, for 10-15 seconds.
  2. Add the ice cubes and shake again until cold.
  3. In a copper mug, pour another set of ice cubes and strain the mixture from the cocktail shaker.
  4. Garnish with raspberry slices and serve.

9. Cosmobellini

For cocktail enthusiasts who want their cosmopolitan to be like champagne which creates smoke bubbles on top, this cosmobellini will turn your inhibitions into reality. Yes, from the name itself, it is simply the combination of cosmopolitan and bellini. If you are not familiar with bellini yet, it is made up of white peaches that are pureed plus a sparkling wine from Italy named Prosecco. White peaches have a floral scent and naturally sweet in taste without any hint of sourness, so people who like their cocktail sweet will surely fall in love with this cosmopolitan variation. 

You can also choose peach liqueur if you don’t want the hassle of making pureed white peaches. On the other hand, the prosecco wine will balance the flavors because it contains acidity and bubbles made from different fruits like apple, peach, and many others. Remember that in this recipe, there’s no added sugar needed because the peaches are already too sweet to give off the sweetness that you need.

Cosmobellini

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces vodka
  • ½ ounce white peach puree
  • Prosecco sparkling wine
  • ½ ounce lime juice
  • 1 ounce Cointreau (optional)
  • Ice cubes or crushed ice
  • Peach wedges (for garnish)

Directions

  1. In a blender, blend the white peaches to make a puree. Blend for 15-30 seconds or until smooth.
  2. Use a cocktail shaker to mix the ingredients such as white peach puree, vodka, Cointreau, lime juice, and crushed ice, for 10-15 seconds.
  3. Add the ice cubes and shake again until cold.
  4. In a copper mug, pour another set of ice cubes and strain the mixture from the cocktail shaker.
  5. Top with Prosecco sparkling wine.
  6. Garnish with white peach wedges and serve.

10. Pomegranate Cosmopolitan

The fruit pomegranate is widely used in different cocktails already and cosmopolitan is one of these cocktails which has this pomegranate variation. Its vibrant red color gives enough elegance to this drink especially when offered to your home guests. Pomegranate cosmopolitan still uses the ingredients needed in making a classic cosmopolitan but with the addition of pomegranate, of course. 

The reason why pomegranate is perfect for cosmopolitan is that it has both sweet and tart flavors which can also be found in every citrus fruit like cranberries and oranges. With this being said, you can be sure that the pomegranate will make this cocktail extra refreshing and delicious.

Pomegranate Cosmopolitan

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces vodka
  • 2 ounces unsweetened pomegranate juice
  • ½ ounce lime juice
  • 1 ounce Cointreau 
  • Ice cubes or crushed ice
  • Lime wedges (for garnish)

In making pomegranate juice, you will need to remove the crown first using a knife. Cut the base again with the same technique as removing the crown. Cut them into 6 different strips from the top to the bottom. Loosen the seeds and blend them in a blender. Throw away the rind and pith of the pomegranate. Blend the seeds for 5 to 10 seconds or until smooth like a juice. Use a strainer to get the juice out of the mixture while separating the seeds.

Directions

  1. Use a cocktail shaker to mix the ingredients such as vodka, Cointreau, lime juice, pomegranate juice, and crushed ice, for 10-15 seconds.
  2. Add the ice cubes and shake again until cold.
  3. In a copper mug, pour another set of ice cubes and strain the mixture from the cocktail shaker.
  4. Garnish with lime wedges and serve.

Conclusion

You might be surprised and wondering why we use copper mugs over martini glass for these cosmopolitan cocktails. Well, the copper mug is not only for the Moscow mule but for all types of drinks that require temperature retention. Copper which is a good thermal conductor can retain the temperature of a cold drink. In this way, you don’t have to add more ice that may make your cosmopolitan recipe watery.

Moreover, copper mugs come with a lot of health benefits including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial properties. If you don’t have a copper mug yet, you can get 100% pure copper mugs on Amazon that come with different accessories too!

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