Lower Sugar Cosmopolitan Cocktail Recipe

(49 ratings)

Total Time: 5 min

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 0 min

Servings: 1

Nutrition Highlights (per serving)

103 calories

0g fat

1g carbs

0g protein

Show Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories	103
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g	0%
Saturated Fat 0g	0%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 2mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 1g	0%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Total Sugars 1g
Includes 1g Added Sugars	2%
Protein 0g
Vitamin D 0mcg	0%
Calcium 3mg	0%
Iron 0mg	0%
Potassium 14mg	0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Cosmopolitan cocktails are festive and fun to drink but typically have a significant amount of added sugar from the the sweetened cranberry juice and the Cointreau or Triple Sec. An average "Cosmo" can contain 3-4 teaspoons of added sugar.

This recipe lightens up the added sugar, uses 100% fruit juices, and just uses enough Cointreau and simple syrup to make it balanced. While there is the option to further reduce the sugar with a non-nutritive sweetener such as liquid stevia, this will give the cocktail the aftertaste of an artificial sweetener.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon water
1 jigger (1 1/2 ounces) vodka
1/2 oz Cointreau or triple sec
1 oz cranberry apple juice (100% juice)
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon fresh orange juice
1/8 teaspoon orange extract (2-3 drops)
Lime wedge or lime peel for garnish

Preparation

First, make a simple syrup by dissolving sugar in warm water. Set aside.
Combine vodka, Cointreau, cranberry apple juice, lime juice, orange juice, orange extract and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker half-full of ice. Shake well.
Taste for sweetness and add more orange juice or extract if you want more sweetness without added sugar. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a small lime wedge or curl of lime peel.

Variations and Substitutions

Replace Cranberry Apple Juice with light or unsweetened cranberry juice.
Make it sugar-free by omitting cointreau and replacing simple syrup with liquid sweetener such as stevia or monkfruit.