I love the whole cocktail shebang; the sleek glasses, the fancy presentation and the mouth-watering concoctions, however I have to admit I always play it safe and plump for a Cosmo.

I’ve always been put off trying to recreate it at home as I was convinced it would be a bit of a faff. Well it turns out I was wrong. To round off our week of sunny afternoon posts and to get you in the mood for the weekend, may I present to you the ultimate recipe for a classic Cosmopolitan.

The great thing about this cocktail is that you can prepare in advance if you have a big crowd arriving. You most definitely don’t need to be a mixiology whizz and you may well have most of the alcohol on your bar cart or in your drinks cupboard already.

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{Ingredients}
  • 35ml/1½fl oz vodka
  • 15ml/½fl oz orange liqueur (such as triple sec or cointreau)
  • Squeeze of fresh lime juice
  • Orange peel
  • 25ml/1fl oz cranberry juice
  • Crushed ice
  • Cocktail shaker

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    Method

    1. Place the vodka, orange liqueur, lime juice and cranberry juice into a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake it (like a Polaroid picture…) and then strain into a Martini glass or similar.
    2. Hold the orange over the glass and, using a small peeler, form an orange twist. Don’t worry if any orange juice makes it into your drink as this will add a further fruity kick.
    3. Hold the orange twist over the glass and very carefully set alight. Garnish the cocktail with the flamed orange twist and serve.

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    If you’d prefer to make for four people then quadruple the amounts. Add all the liquid to a pitcher and leave in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve pour into four martini glasses and garnish with an orange twist.
    What are you up to tonight? Anyone making any cocktails to celebrate the start of the weekend? As always, enjoy extremely responsibly.