Name: Gin "Cosmo" Cosmopolitan Cocktail
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1.5 oz Gin; 1 oz Orange Liqueur; 2 oz Cranberry Juice; 0.5 oz Lime Juice

This refreshing Gin Cosmo recipe offers a classy take on one of the world’s most popular cocktails, the Cosmopolitan.

The easy 4-ingredient cocktail recipe features premium gin, Cointreau orange liqueur, freshly squeezed lime juice and cranberry juice.

The chic gin drink is both refreshing and tart. Serve in an elegant coupe or cocktail glass garnished with a lime wheel.

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What Is A Gin Cosmo

A cosmopolitan, also known informally as a “cosmo,” is a classic cocktail traditionally made with vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice, and freshly squeezed lime juice.

While the cocktail is widely perceived to be a modern creation, there is a recipe for a Cosmopolitan Daisy, which appears in Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars 1903–1933, published in 1934.

Made with gin, orange liqueur, lemon and raspberry syrup, ingredients that would have been readily available during the period, this identically named cocktail aims for the same effect.

Some culinary historians believe the original creator of the beverage is Bartender Neal Murray. He claims to have created the cosmopolitan in 1975 at the Cork & Cleaver steakhouse in Minneapolis. According to Murray, he added a splash of cranberry juice to a Kamikaze and the first taster declared, “How cosmopolitan.” Murray’s Cosmopolitan used 1.5 oz Gordon’s vodka, . 75 oz Rose’s Lime, .

This Cosmo recipe swaps vodka for gin, pouring a pretty pink in a martini or coupe glass.

Homemade Gin Cosmopolitan cocktail recipe ingredients.

What Is Cointreau?

Cointreau is an orange-flavoured triple sec liqueur produced in Saint-Barthélemy-d’Anjou, France. It is consumed as an apéritif and digestif, and is a component of several well-known craft cocktails like the margarita.

It was originally called Curaçao Blanco Triple Sec. Despite the orange bottle, Cointreau is colourless.

Cointreau Distillery was set up in 1849 by Adolphe Cointreau, a confectioner, and his brother Edouard-Jean Cointreau. Their first success was with the cherry liqueur Guignolet, but they also found success when they blended sweet and bitter orange peels and pure alcohol from sugar beets.

The first bottles of Cointreau were sold in 1875. Today, an estimated 13 million bottles are sold each year, in more than 150 countries.

The addition of Cointreau gives a Gin Cosmo its sweet orange flavour.

Serve this Gin Cosmopolitan recipe in a coupe or martini glass.

Gin Cosmopolitan Cocktail Recipe Ingredients

This homemade Gin Cosmo recipe is made with premium ingredients:

Gin: use a premium gin like Aviation, Malfy or Tanqueray.
Cointreau: a French orange-flavoured liqueur gives the drink a lovely citrus undertone.
Lime Juice: freshly squeezed lime juice adds a sublime acidity to the cocktail.
Cranberry Juice: is responsible for giving the drink its distinctive pink colour.
Lime Wheel: garnish a coup or martini glass with a lime wheel before serving.

Gin Cosmo Recipe Tips

This bright and fruity Gin Cosmo recipe is easy to make at home, ready to serve in under 5 minutes.

Our simple Gin Cosmopolitan Cocktail serves one person. If you’re hosting a large gathering feel free to multiply the ingredients by the number of guests and muddle the drink in a festive punch bowl or jug rather than a cocktail shaker.

We’ve used gin in this recipe but you can make a traditional Cosmopolitan by substituting with vodka if you prefer.

Be sure to squeeze fresh limes and never use concentrate. You can taste the quality difference!

An hour or two before you’re planning on serving drinks to your guests we suggest placing the Cointreau and gin bottle in the freezer so they are well chilled.

A Gin Cosmo is a pink coloured cocktail which gets its colour from cranberry juice.

Best Bartender Tools & Cocktail Equipment

Before hosting a swanky Gin Cosmo cocktail soiree you’ll need to ensure you have the best bartender tools and cocktail equipment.

Cocktail Kit: cocktail kits are the perfect gift for newbie mixology fans as they include basic bartender tools like a jigger, shaker and spoon.
Cocktail Shaker: a bartender’s best friend. Purchase a premium cocktail shaker to muddle or shake up your favourite pink gin cocktails.
Cocktail Glassware: make sure your bar is stocked with a selection of unique glassware to show off your favourite cocktail creations.
Hawthorne Strainer: this unique strainer features tightly wound coils and perforated holes. It keeps ice and other large ingredients like lime wedges in your cocktail shaker rather than in the glass.
Bar Spoons: slender and long bar spoons are a must-have when stirring drinks.
Bottle Opener: easily open bottles of beer or cider with the flick of your wrist or purchase a corkscrew for fine wine.
Pouring Spout: once you’ve opened a new bottle of gin insert these affordable pourers to make cocktail assembly a breeze.
Cutting Board: purchase a petite cutting board for your bar to slice garnishes or citrus wedges like lime, orange, lemon or grapefruit.
Ice Bucket: chill bottles of gin quickly in an ice bucket or keep by the bar when muddling gin mixers into cool creations.
Ice Crusher: fans of the Mint Julep love an ice crusher.
Ice Cube Kit: we suggest purchasing a selection of ice cube trays. Silicone styles are our favourite as they’re easy to clean and are available in various shapes and sizes.
Jigger: use a jigger to accurately measure spirits, juices, syrups and shrubs.
Juicer: invest in an electronic juicer or buy an affordable hand-held to easily juice fresh citrus like lemons and limes.
Muddler: fans of the Mojito love a sturdy muddler to mix mint and lime. Muddler’s are handy for any cocktail featuring ingredients that need a pounding like fresh herbs or citrus wedges.
Citrus Peeler & Zester: adorn your craft cocktails with a thick citrus peel or finer ribbons of lime or lemon zest.
Rimmer: Bloody Mary and Caesar lovers should outfit their bar with a handy rimmer for salting and sugaring glassware.

We love serving this refreshing and fruity drink at cocktail parties in the summer.

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Gin "Cosmo" Cosmopolitan Cocktail Photo Image. — Gin “Cosmo” Cosmopolitan Cocktail Photo Image.

Best Selling Gin

Gin has certainly enjoyed a boom in popularity at cocktail bars in recent years. You’ll find fantastic premium gins distilled from Scotland to Muskoka. Here are some of the world’s best selling gins and some of our local small batch favourites:

Gordon’s Gin: The world’s top selling gin brand is owned by Diageo. The brand’s pink iteration has undoubtedly helped to fuel its success. Gordon’s has also unveiled a line of new innovative products including two “ultra-low-alcohol” pre-mixed gin and tonic sparkling beverages and Gordon’s Gin-infused popsicles.
Bombay Sapphire Gin: Bacardi-owned Bombay Sapphire is one of the worlds best-selling gins. Bombay Sapphire kicked off a new limited edition range with the launch of a gin inspired by summer in the English countryside.
Tanqueray: Diageo-owned Tanqueray launched a new marketing campaign developed to shift consumers’ attention from “gimmicks” to flavour and unveiled a range of bottled ready-to-drink gin and tonics, made with its London Dry Gin and Flor de Sevilla Distilled Gin.
Beefeater Gin: Pernod Ricard’s flagship gin brand is Beefeater. The brand launched strawberry-flavoured Beefeater Pink in 2018 and further expanded its portfolio with the debut of a new blood orange-flavoured gin.
Seagram’s: Pernod Ricard-owned Seagram’s is a top seller having recently purchased Italian brand Malfy Gin.
Hendrick’s Gin: Opened the door to its £13 million Gin Palace in 2018, allowing the brand to double its capacity to two million cases annually. The Scottish brand has also added to its portfolio with the launch of the limited edition summer solstice-inspired Midsummer Solstice gin.
Edinburgh Gin: This craft distillery in Edinburgh produces a parade of flavoured gin bottles including rhubarb & ginger gin, raspberry gin, bramble & honey gin, black currant & anise, strawberry & pink peppercorn and pomegranate & rose.
Dillon’s Distillery: This Beamsville producer makes small batch gins including rose gin, cherry gin and strawberry gin.
Muskoka Brewery: This Ontario craft brewery produces a London Dry and spicy pink peppercorn gin.

Now you're an expert on how to make an easy Gin Cosmopolitan cocktail recipe! — Now you’re an expert on how to make an easy Gin Cosmopolitan cocktail recipe!

How To Make A Gin Cosmo Cocktail

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