Large Batch Cosmopolitan Recipe (Party Cocktail)

This Large Batch Cosmopolitan Recipe is a classic cocktail recipe scaled up for a crowd! No more mixing and shaking one drink at a time. Make a large batch, sit back and sip!

Signature cocktails are one of the best part of hosting a party. Sure, beer and wine are fine, but everyone likes a signature cocktail. The thing about cocktails is they can be hard to make and time consuming. You don’t want to be mixing up drink after drink when everyone else is having fun. This Large Batch Cosmopolitan Recipe has been a savior for dinner parties and girls nights. 

Next time you are hosting, use this recipe to make a large batch of cosmopolitans before your guests arrive! You can serve these vodka cocktails at happy hour, for Christmas, a birthday celebration, at any girls night or at a fun ‘Galentine’s Day’ celebration. As Carrie Bradshaw would say, a Cosmopolitan never goes out of style. 

Need more classic cocktail recipes? Try this Classic Espresso Martini (using Rum). Everyone loves an espresso martini and this one is perfect amount of sweet! Or, try this Spiked Cranberry Lemonade. This vodka based cocktails tastes just like a Fisher’s Island Pink Lemonade from the can! 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It is a time-saver! Make this cosmopolitan cocktail recipe ahead of time and enjoy your guests. 
• It will keep your kitchen from getting dirty! Think about spilled drinks, ice dripping and sweaty cocktail shakers. You will not have any of those when you pre-make your drinks. 
• This recipe is simple! This is the perfect recipe to keep in your back pocket when hosting! 

Recipe Ingredients

Here are the ingredients that you will need to make this Large Batch Cosmo Recipe: 

Ingredient Notes

• Vodka is the main liquor in this drink. I prefer to use an an unflavored vodka. Tito’s and Grey Goose are my preferred brands.
• Triple Sec is an orange liqueur used to sweeten the cocktail.
• The juice base is Unsweetened Cranberry Juice.  Use Cranberry Juice that is labeled 100% juice not Cranberry Juice Cocktail. The Cranberry Juice Cocktail has extra sugars added to it. 
• Add a little zest to the Cosmartmo with Fresh Lime Juice. 

See recipe card for full list of ingredients and measurements.

Substitutions & Variations

• Use a flavored vodka such as a citrus vodka for a vodka twist. 
• Use white cranberry juice to make a White Cosmo. Get the recipe here!
• Replace the fresh lime juice with fresh lemon juice for a lemon twist! 
• Instead of garnishing the drink with a lime, garnish with an orange peel.

Equipment

Simple barware equipment is needed to make this large batch Cosmo:

• A large cocktail shaker. Use one that has enough space for 18 ounces of liquid plus ice. This is a great large cocktail shaker!
• ​Jigger or measuring cup
• Martini glass

How To Make Large Batch Cosmopolitans

Step 1: Add ice cubes to the martini glasses and cocktail shaker to chill them. 

Step 2: ​To an iced cocktail shaker, add vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice and lime juice. 

Step 3: ​Shake cocktail shaker for 30 seconds until the outside of the shaker is icy. 

Step 4: Remove ice from martini glasses. Pour the Cosmopolitan mixture into each glass. Garnish with a twisted lime peel. 

Expert Tips

1. ​Use a very large cocktail shaker to mix this cocktail. Alternatively, you could use a 3 cup mason jar to shake the cocktail. If you do not have a large cocktail shaker, you could mix the drink in a large pitcher. Use a long bar spoon to mix the drink together if mixing in a big pitcher. 
2. Be sure to have lots of ice on hand as you will need ice to chill the martini glasses and ice to shake the cocktail. 
3. Prepare your garnishes ahead of time. Use a vegetable peeler to cut a thin piece of the lime peel or orange peel. Wrap the peel around a pen to give it a twist. 

Storage

If preparing these batch cocktails ahead of time, add all the ingredients to the cocktail shaker without ice. Refrigerate the cocktail shaker until ready to serve then add ice, shake and serve. 

​Store any leftover cosmopolitans in the refrigerator. After mixing, pour the drink into a separate container or glass as to not water down the cocktail from the ice. 

Related

Looking for other cocktail recipes to make at home? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with cocktails: