Grand Cosmopolitan
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 19.1% ABV ∙
The Grand Cosmopolitan is a Cosmopolitan variation made with Grand Marnier in place of triple sec, shaken with vodka, cranberry, and fresh lime, and served up. Silky and cold with a tart-sweet snap, the finish turns warm and citrusy as the flamed orange oil settles over each chilled sip.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Vodka 30 mlCognac orange liqueur (e.g., Grand Marnier) 30 mlCranberry juice 30 mlLime juice 15 mlOrange bitters 1 dash
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express flamed an orange twist over the cocktail, then use as garnish
Tips
- Fine-strain after shaking to keep ice shards and pulp out of the clear pink pour.
- Flame the expressed orange twist over the glass just before garnishing — it releases the oils without scorching the peel.
- Pre-chill the martini glass so the drink doesn't warm before it's even garnished.
- Add the orange bitters as one dash and taste; it's optional and meant to add depth, not dominate the citrus.
History
The Grand Cosmopolitan has no separate documented creation story of its own: it is a widely used name for a Cosmopolitan built with Grand Marnier standing in for plain triple sec or curaçao, a swap that adds a deeper orange-and-cognac note in place of the simpler orange liqueur base.
The Cosmopolitan itself, of which this is a variation, is generally traced to the 1980s cocktail-and-vodka boom in the United States, though its exact origin is disputed among several claimants, including Miami bartender Cheryl Cook and Manhattan bartender Toby Cecchini, credited by some accounts with popularizing the internationally recognized version at The Odeon restaurant in the late 1980s.
FAQ
How do you make a Grand Cosmopolitan with Grand Marnier?
Shake vodka, Grand Marnier, sweetened cranberry juice, fresh lime juice, and a dash of orange bitters with ice, then fine-strain into a chilled martini glass. Finish by expressing a flamed orange twist over the drink and dropping it in as garnish.
Is Cointreau or Grand Marnier better for a Cosmopolitan?
Both work, but they give a different drink. Cointreau is a clear, drier triple sec that keeps the classic Cosmopolitan crisp, while Grand Marnier is a cognac-based orange liqueur that adds a rounder, slightly warm depth, which is what defines this Grand Cosmopolitan.
What is a true Cosmopolitan?
A true Cosmopolitan is a vodka-based cocktail brightened with citrus and cranberry, shaken and served up in a martini glass with an orange twist. This Grand Cosmopolitan leans into that formula by using Grand Marnier as its orange liqueur.
How do you make a large batch of Grand Cosmopolitan?
Multiply the vodka, Grand Marnier, cranberry juice, and lime juice by the same ratio for the number of servings, then shake each round with fresh ice rather than pre-mixing and chilling without ice. Add the orange bitters per serving just before shaking so the dash stays proportional, and fine-strain each pour individually to keep it clear.
