Raspberry Cosmopolitan
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 19.2% ABV ∙
The Raspberry Cosmopolitan adds raspberry purée to the Cosmopolitan's vodka, triple sec and lemon, served up in a cocktail glass. Silky and cold with a tart edge, the fruit sweetness settles into a crisp, citrus-bright finish that lingers just briefly on the palate.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Vodka 50 mlTriple sec 25 mlLemon juice 25 mlRaspberry purée 20 mlSugar syrup 10 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express an orange twist over the cocktail and float as garnish
Tips
- Pre-chill the glass before shaking so the fine-strained drink stays cold without any ice diluting it further.
- Fine-strain hard to keep raspberry seeds and pulp out of the glass for a smooth, clear pour.
- Express the orange twist directly over the drink before floating it — the oils carry more aroma than the peel alone.
History
The Raspberry Cosmopolitan has no separately documented creator, bar, or year; it circulates mainly as a fruited variation promoted through vodka-brand recipe collections (notably Smirnoff's raspberry-vodka take) rather than through any bartender-credited origin story. It follows the Cosmopolitan, most widely credited to bartender Toby Cecchini, who says he devised it in 1988 at The Odeon in New York City using the newly launched Absolut Citron vodka and Cointreau, though rival claims name Miami bartender Cheryl Cook and Minneapolis bartender Neal Murray from the 1970s and 1980s. The raspberry version simply swaps in raspberry purée or syrup for part of the citrus-cranberry mix, giving the drink a deeper color and berry-forward sweetness while keeping the vodka-and-triple-sec base intact.
FAQ
What's in a Raspberry Cosmopolitan?
Vodka, triple sec, lemon juice, raspberry purée, and a touch of sugar syrup, shaken and fine-strained into a chilled cocktail glass with an orange twist. The raspberry purée and lemon juice stand in for the cranberry juice and lime found in a classic Cosmopolitan, giving this version a deeper berry flavor.
What is a true Cosmopolitan?
A classic Cosmopolitan is traditionally built on vodka and orange liqueur with cranberry and lime juice, shaken and strained up. This raspberry version keeps that shaken, citrus-forward structure but uses raspberry purée and lemon juice in place of the cranberry and lime.
Will one Raspberry Cosmopolitan get you drunk?
A single serving is about 19.2% ABV, which is diluted down by the shake and ice, so one drink alone is unlikely to be enough to get most people drunk. How it hits still depends on body weight, food intake, and how quickly it's drunk.
