The method
How to make it
Chill a martini glass or coupe, a warm cosmo is a sad story in a pretty dress.
Shake vodka, orange liqueur, cranberry juice and lime juice with ice, hard, for 12 seconds.
Double strain into the chilled glass. The color should be a pale festive pink, not fire-engine red. If it is dark you went heavy on the cranberry, add a splash more vodka and shake again.
Express an orange peel over the top, skin side down, and run it around the rim before dropping it in.
Add three fresh cranberries on a pick across the rim.
The serve
How to present it
Stemmed glass, orange oil sheen on the surface, cranberries like ornaments on the pick. It is the drink for the holiday party where you actually like the people. Batch the first round in a pitcher and shake to order after that.
Make it yours
Swaps & variations
White cranberry juice makes a ghost cosmo that confuses and delights. Swap the lime for lemon and it drinks softer. A splash of prosecco on top is not traditional but neither is fun, add it anyway.
Keep pouring
