The glass looks exactly like the original: pale pink, frosted, an orange twist on the rim. Cranberry brings the tartness, fresh orange juice stands in for the orange liqueur and lime keeps everything sharp and clean.
2 oz
cranberry juice unsweetened or lightly sweetened
1 oz
orange juice
½ oz
lime juice
¼ oz
simple syrup adjust to the sweetness of your cranberry juice
2 dash
alcohol-free orange bitters (optional)
Garnish: Orange twist · Ice: Served up, no ice
Virgin Cosmopolitan
Tart and fruity with a clear cranberry bite, rounded by orange and a light sweetness. Crisp, cold and dry enough to feel like a proper cocktail.
The Cosmopolitan became one of the defining drinks of the late 1980s and 1990s. Several bartenders in Miami, San Francisco and New York are named in connection with its early versions, and the New York bartender Toby Cecchini is widely credited with the modern recipe of citrus vodka, Cointreau, fresh lime and cranberry. The television series Sex and the City then made the pink martini glass a pop culture symbol.
The virgin version keeps the structure and replaces the spirits: fresh orange juice takes over the role of the orange liqueur, and a little syrup and bitters make up for the body the vodka would add. It is not a historic drink of its own, but a logical adaptation that many bars serve when guests ask for a Cosmo without alcohol.
Cranberry juice, fresh orange and lime juice and a little simple syrup, shaken with ice. Alcohol-free orange bitters are optional.
Fresh orange juice plus a strip of orange peel in the shaker. Some bars use orange syrup, which works if you reduce the simple syrup.
A chilled cocktail glass or a coupe, served without ice, just like the original Cosmopolitan.
The perfect sound
Pink and poised for a big city night.
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