4th of July Cosmopolitan – Star Spangled Patriotic Cosmo Cocktail

This 4th of July Cosmopolitan takes the drink to a patriotic height with the addition of a fun red, white, and blue glass rim. It’s also a great cocktail to serve for Memorial Day.

The cosmopolitan is a cocktail made with vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, and freshly squeezed lime juice.

The cosmopolitan cocktail, affectionately referred to as the “cosmo,” gained popularity during the 1990s when Carrie Bradshaw frequently mentioned the drink on the television show Sex and the City. 

The history of the Cosmopolitan goes back further than this, though. Some think the drink started in the 1930s and others credit the origin to the 1970s or even the 80s.

No matter when it was born, it has had a fairly long run at popularity and is one of my favorite cocktail recipes.

What type of cocktail is a Cosmopolitan?

Do you love margaritas and Vodka cranberry cocktail?  If you do, you’ll love Cosmopolitans. They are a combination of the two drinks in one pretty pink glass. And with the sugar salted rimmed glass, you’ll be in love with the patriotic look.

The cosmo is one of the few true pink cocktails, thanks to the addition of cranberry juice.  It gives the drink a natural pink tint that doesn’t need any food coloring for its color.

One might thing from the pink color that it’s a sweet drink, but it is anything but.

If you love the way this drink looks, be sure to check out my Cinderella cocktail, too. It’s a vodka and curacao drink with a pretty blue color.

Making this 4th of July Cosmopolitan

The Cosmopolitan cocktail is a sophisticated looking drink that is all dressed up for a 4th of July party!  It’s really simple to make, too. Chill your martini glasses for the best tasting cocktail if you have time.

Start by combining your sugar crystals on a plate. I used Wilton Sprinkles in the trio of colors to make my patriotic looking rim mix.

Wet the rim of a cocktail glass with a lime wheel, and dip the glass in the sanding sugar. It gives a nice crusty look to the rim that is just waiting for the drink mix.

Some recipes use Citron Vodka, but mine uses straight vodka. The extra sweetness on the rim tempers the harshness of the vodka. 

Still, the drink is heavy on Vodka, so use a good quality vodka if you have it for the smoothest taste.

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes and then add the vodka, Triple Sec, cranberry juice and lime juice. (you can also use either Cointreau or Grand Marnier in place of Triple Sec.

Give the shaker a good shake for about 30 seconds until the drink is well chilled and the flavors have combined. Strain the cosmo mixture into the prepared martini glass.

Isn’t the rim pretty? It has a very romantic look to it that is subtly patriotic.

I used maraschino cherries and fresh blueberries on a white cocktail skewer to give an extra colorful 4th of July garnish to the drink. Enjoy!

Making the Star Spangled Cosmo for a crowd

To make this cosmo recipe for 4, add a cup of vodka, 1/4 cup of triple sec, 1/3 cup of cranberry juice and 4 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice to a pitcher. Stir well and refrigerate until ready to pour. 

When you are ready to serve the drinks, coat the rim of 4 martini glasses and pour in the cosmo cocktail mixture and garnish. (This recipe can also be doubled for 8 guests.)

Each Cosmopolitan cocktail has approximately 195 calories.

To save this recipe so that it is handy later, pin this image to Pinterest to remind you.

Your party guests will love these patriotic cocktails. Looking for a table centerpiece for the kids? Check out these 4th of July candy jars. The candy will disappear with the kids as quickly as the cocktails do for the adults!

A note on the cranberry juice.  I used unsweetened cranberry juice because I enjoy a sour cocktail. If you like your cosmos a bit sweeter, you can substitute cranberry juice cocktail instead.

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