Elegant Tequila Cosmopolitan Recipe

The Cosmopolitan is one of those cocktails often revered as a classic, and as such, it typically comes in a classic formula: vodka, orange liqueur, cranberry juice, and lime juice. Of course, just because vodka is traditionally the star ingredient of a Cosmo doesn't mean it always has to be, as proven by recipe developer Patterson Watkins' elegant tequila Cosmopolitan recipe. That's right — not only does this recipe switch things up by throwing tequila into the mix, but it calls for making a cranberry sorbet to serve with the cocktail as well, making for one positively elevated Cosmo.

Watkins describes this as a "fun and flirty cocktail," and truly, there's no better way to put it. "I love the sweet-tart cranberry sorbet, how it presents in the glass as well as the flavor infusion contribution with the tequila, orange liqueur, and lime," she tells us. And, before you start sweating over the thought of making sorbet or needing to whip out an ice cream machine, fear not; this is a no-churn recipe, so all you need to make that sorbet is a handful of ingredients, a few basic kitchen tools (like a strainer and loaf pan), and a freezer (and a dream). As Watkins so aptly puts it, "This is a recipe that makes you fall in love with Cosmos all over again — a little different than the original, a little more elegant than the original, but all in all a great twist on classic."

To make the cranberry sorbet, you'll need canned cranberry sauce, granulated sugar, cran-apple juice, fresh lime juice, and lime zest. Watkins notes that you can use fresh or frozen cranberries instead of the sauce, but you'll have to make some major tweaks to the rest of the recipe. To start, you'll need to simmer the sorbet base longer and add ½ cup more sugar to the mix. You'll also need to use an ice cream maker to make the sorbet, should you not take the canned cranberry route. "The jellied component of the canned cran gives us that no-churn grace, fresh or frozen needs churning," Watkins explains. "Prep and program your ice cream maker for sorbet crafting and freeze until firm."

Otherwise, for the cocktail itself, you'll need just need quality tequila (silver or blanco will work), Grand Marnier (or another type of orange liqueur, like Triple Sec or Cointreau), fresh lime juice, and some lime wedges to garnish.

To make the sorbet, place the cranberry sauce, sugar, cran-apple juice, and lime juice in a medium saucepan.

Whisk to combine and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Cook for 10 minutes, whisking frequently, until the cranberry sauce and sugar have dissolved.

Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.

Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the dregs.

Add the lime zest to the strained mixture and stir to combine.

Pour the mixture into loaf pans, cover, and freeze overnight or until firm.

Once the sorbet is firm, fill a shaker with ice.

Add the tequila, Grand Marnier, and lime juice to the shaker. Vigorously shake to combine.

Scoop the sorbet into martini glasses or coupes.

Strain and pour the cocktail mixture over the sorbet.

Garnish the glasses with lime slices before serving.

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Whether you don't drink alcohol, are sober-curious, or simply think you'd enjoy this drink better if it didn't have alcohol, you aren't limited in options. Watkins assures us that it's totally possible to make this drink ABV-free, but your substitution choices should be guided by what flavor profile you're going for. If you still want that distinct agave flavor minus the alcohol itself, then an ABV-free tequila is the best choice here (along with orange juice in place of the liqueur). If you can't source a non-alcoholic tequila, then Watkins recommends swapping in black tea infused with orange and lime to help establish those woody, earthy notes you might taste in a good quality tequila.

If you aren't married to the idea of having that tequila flavor present, then you can simply make this drink more of a spritz. Instead of shaking up a cocktail at all, simply scoop the cranberry sorbet (which luckily doesn't need to be altered at all to avoid booze) into the glasses as written, and pour over your choice of flavored soda water or seltzer. Watkins specifically recommends opting for a lime or orange seltzer to maintain those desirable citrusy notes.

Anytime frozen ingredients are involved in a cocktail, things can get a bit precarious as you try to avoid those frozen elements melting. To mitigate this issue, Watkins has a super simple but very helpful tip. "When I am working with frozen components in my cocktails, I like to pre-scoop or pre-portion and return those portions to the freezer," she says. Just scoop the sorbet out onto a plate, loosely cover with plastic, then store in the freezer until you're ready to transfer the scoops to glasses (virtually no risk of melting remaining). 

Another tip for keeping things nice and chilled may be one you already partake in — keeping the booze in the fridge or freezer. Even if you don't want to store your entire bottle of tequila in the fridge, you can portion out the amount you'll need ahead of time, refrigerate or freeze it, and then it will be nice and chilled once it's go time. "That also reduces the amount of ice melt you have in the shaker, diluting the liqueurs," Watkins adds.

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