Cointreau

Miranda, Samantha, Charlottle and Carrie knew what they were talking.

Now at first glance, you may be saying to yourself — A Cosmopolitan? Isn’t that so 10+ years ago? And quite honestly, you may be right but these little beauties are so delish that I don’t mind if I’m a bit outdated. Just call me retro.

Cosmopolitans are a great cocktail for holiday entertaining. Not only are they tasty but they are one of those cocktails you can make in advance before your guests arrive. Once your guests are ready to have a drink, you can pour some of the pre-mixed Cosmos into a shaker filled with ice, shake for a bit and then strain into martini glasses. Or you can pre-portion them out into little glass bottles and then chill them in ice buckets. Your guests can then just grab their own little Cosmopolitan bottle and sip away. Definitely less fuss for you if you’re hosting.

The key to my version of the Cosmo is fresh grapefruit juice. It makes such a world of difference adding a slight bitter and floral edge to the drink—perfect to counterbalance the sweetness of the cranberry juice and Cointreau. Tart, slightly sweet and just such a pretty color.

Cheers!

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The Cosmopolitan
Serves 2

Ingredients:

ice
5 ounces premium vodka
1 ounce Cointreau
3 ounces cranberry juice
2 ounces fresh grapefruit juice
½ ounce fresh lime juice
orange peels for garnish

Fill a large cocktail shaker with ice. Add the vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice, grapefruit juice and lime juice. Vigorously shake for 20 seconds and strain the cocktails between two martini glasses. Garnish with orange peels.

TEE…GEE…EYE…EFF!!!!!

And what better way to ring in Aloha Friday than with a delish and refreshing cocktail?

Lately, blood oranges have been incredibly abundant in my neck of the woods. These little guys look quite unassuming from the outside but when you cut into them, they reveal an extraordinarily beautiful hue. As for the flavor, I find them to be slightly reminiscent of tangerines which goes so well with a kick of tequila.

And with that—have a wonderful weekend, Friends! Salud!

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Blood Orange Margaritas
Serves 1

Ingredients:

lime wedge
coarse salt
ice
4 ounces blood orange juice
2 ounces premium tequila
1 ounce Cointreau or triple sec
1 1/2 ounces fresh lime juice
2 ounces simple syrup
additional blood orange and lime slices for garnish

Use the lime wedge and rim the edge of a margarita glass. Dip the rim into salt and coat the edge of the glass.

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the blood orange juice, tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and simple syrup. Cap the shaker and vigorously shake for 15-20 seconds. Pour the contents into the glass and garnish with additional orange and lime slices

Tag: Cointreau

Day 6 of A Week of Holiday Cocktails – The Cosmopolitan

Blood Orange Margaritas