Holiday Cosmo
The classic cosmopolitan gets a festive makeover in this Holiday Cosmo that swaps regular cranberry juice for homemade cranberry liqueur. If you’ve made a batch of cranberry liqueur, this is one of the best ways to showcase it. The liqueur brings a deeper, more complex cranberry flavor than juice alone, with just the right amount of sweetness to balance the lime and vodka. If you don’t have homemade liqueur on hand, store-bought cranberry liqueur works perfectly fine, too.
This cocktail is elegant enough for holiday entertaining but simple enough to mix up on a regular weeknight when you want something festive. It takes just two minutes to shake together, and the ruby-red color with floating cranberries makes it look like you put in far more effort than you actually did. Serve these at your next holiday gathering and watch them disappear. Your guests will think you hired a bartender, but you’ll know it’s just cranberries, vodka, and a good shake.
Table of Contents
Ingredients in a Holiday Cosmo
Very simply, readily available ingredients come together to make this Holiday Cosmo.
Vodka – Any mid-range vodka works well. Use what you have on hand.
Cranberry liqueur – IMHO, homemade is best, but store-bought works fine. In a pinch, you can substitute with 1/2 oz cranberry juice plus a splash of simple syrup, though the flavor won’t be quite as rich.
Triple sec – This orange liqueur adds citrus depth. Cointreau, Grand Marnier, or any other orange liqueur can substitute, though they’re pricier. A squeeze of fresh orange juice with a touch of simple syrup works in a pinch.
Lime juice – Always use fresh if possible. Bottled lime juice has a flat, bitter taste that really shows in cocktails like this.
Fresh Cranberries – To float on the top, purely for the bougie effect!
Homemade Cranberry Liqueur
Depending on how soon you need it, you can make your own cranberry liqueur. It’s super simple to make; you just need four weeks for the flavor to meld. Here’s the recipe we use for our Cranberry Liqueur. And not for nothing, bottles of it make great holiday gifts!
Other Holiday Cocktails
Looking for more festive drinks to round out your holiday menu? Try the Harvest Cranberry Sangria for a make-ahead option that serves a crowd and features the same cranberry liqueur. The Cranberry French 75 brings champagne into the mix for celebrations, while the Spiced Pomegranate Cocktail offers a different fruit flavor that’s just as seasonal. The Spiced Cranberry Mule is perfect when you want something easy that doesn’t require shaking, and the Winter Sangria gives you another big-batch option for entertaining with a completely different flavor profile that doesn’t use cranberry. Each of these cocktails brings something different to the table, so you can mix and match based on what your guests enjoy and how much time you want to spend behind the bar.
Holiday Cosmo
Ingredients
- Ice
- 1½ oz vodka
- 1 oz cranberry liqueur see notes for homemade cranberry liqueur recipe
- ½ oz triple sec
- ½ oz lime juice
- Garnish: lime twist + cranberries
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Add 1½ oz vodka, 1 oz cranberry liqueur, ½ oz triple sec, and ½ oz lime juice.
- Shake vigorously until well chilled.
- Strain into a chilled martini glass.
- Garnish with a lime twist and fresh cranberries.
Notes
Nutrition
Save it for Later
Bookmark this page or pin the following image to return to this Holiday Cosmo recipe when you need it.
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