Chris and I are going over to Nelson’s for dinner tonight. Here’s a pre-dinner drink to celebrate the weekend. Cosmos were big back in the Sex and the City days. If you like cranberry juice in your cocktail, you’ll enjoy this one. Bottoms up!
I used to like to make and drink all kinds of cocktails when I was younger. Lately I’ve been more of a neat whiskey drinker. The sugary drinks give me a headache and so I usually stay away. But since it’s getting warmer here, flowers are blooming, and birds are chirping, I wanted to make something that reminded me of warm weather. This drink is great when you’re hosting a small get-together as it’s easy to make and requires ingredients most of us normally have already.
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces of vodka, chilled in freezer (I used Tito’s)
- 1 ounce of Cointreau
- 1 ounce of fresh lime juice
- 1 ounce cranberry juice
- ice
- orange peel for garnish
Preparation:
Cut a medium-width strip of orange peel, and remove as much pith as possible. *
Fill your martini glasses with ice and water and set aside.
Fill up your cocktail shaker with ice (about halfway or so).
Add the vodka, Cointreau, lime juice, and cranberry juice to the shaker.
Shake well (I usually count slowly to 30, but this is a personal preference).
Pour into martini glasses.
*This part is optional but it definitely adds a bit more flavor complexity to the drink. Heat up the orange peel over an open flame for a few seconds until it’s warm. Heat it slowly or else it will burn. Once it’s warm, the pores will open up and the essential oils will come out with a little squeeze. Squeeze the oils into the drink and wipe the rim of the glass once around with the peel. Then toss the peel into the drink or, if you want a little extra flair, you can cut a small strip and twist it for the garnish.
uni homemaker 
Yeah this drink is kind of 90’s old school, I’m not sure if people are even into them still, but for a frou-frou drink I find them tasty with enough kick to make it worth the sweetness. 🙂
I’m digging it! 🙂 Thanks for making it.
I was wondering who’s the guest that’s posting. Thought maybe ’twas nel…
Chris is the Mixologist around here and he usually guest post on cocktails.
That is a great idea to heat up the orange peel to let out the orange oils. Here is a toast to the weekend. BAM
Thanks Bobbi! Hope you had a fantastic weekend!
Enjoy your evening and thanks for the drink. Cheers!
Thanks John! Hope you had a lovely weekend!
You made me thirsty. It sounds like a good drink. Cheers!!
How sweet, thank you! 😉
One of my favorite summer drinks next to the lemon drop. I have the same glasses too. The lower center of gravity helps.
Oh, I love lemon drop! It’s been a while since I’ve had those.
Anne you surprised all THE time with you’r performance,not only as a chef…but else as a barman…..enjoy it!!!
That’s so nice of you to say –thank you so much Massi! 🙂
ohhhh this was the first drink i ordered when i turned 21..i felt sooo cool to order one..those were the days…lovely post..sarah
Oh yes, this used to be one of my favorites to order too when I went to a bar. 🙂 Thanks Sarah for taking the time to stop by.
Ah yes, the Cosmo days! Although I’m not able to drink those sweet sugary drinks either I always like the look of them.
They are pretty to look at!
Oh….I love cosmo! Yes, it reminds me of Spring and Summer too. This is such a beautiful drink. 🙂 I always have this when my girlfriends visit for gatherings.
Thanks Amy! It’s definitely one of those drinks you have with your gfs! Thanks for taking the time to stop by. 🙂
That’s my kind of drink!
Mine too! 😉
I am so glad you mentioned Sex in the City! So true on the Cosmo. It has been awhile. This looks delicious. I wish I had one right now 🙂
Thanks for the lovely comment Judy! 🙂
Thanks for this recipe. I’ve been buying the premixed Cosmopolitan – now I can make my own – and I’m sure these will be more delicious.
Hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I have. I didn’t know they make these premixed! Interesting.
I haven’t had a Cosmo for some time but this reminds me how good they are. They have all the glamour of a cocktail but still taste of alcohol like a good grown up drink should be. Too many cocktails these days are designed to mask the taste of alcohol so to promote complete inebriation. Cosmos are Martini cocktails and shouldn’t be served long – I think you’ve got the size just right here. I used to go to a trendy cocktail bar that did the best Cosmos – the bar man used to dip the orange peel in vodka and then set fire to it and drop it in at the end! (PS thanks for the ‘like’ on my blog!)
I haven’t either. Nowadays, my beverage of choice is wine. I was thinking about some of the cocktails I used to order at bars and this came up. Thanks for taking the time to stop by!