Fresh Cranberry Cosmo

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2007

Show: Good EatsEpisode: Cran Opening

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (7)

Prep Time:
6 hr 0 min
Level:
--
Yield:
1 cocktail

Times:

Prep: 6 hr 0 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: --
Total:: 6 hr 0 min

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Ingredients

1-ounce vodka
2 1/2 ounces Cranberry Granita, recipe follows
1/2-ounce freshly squeezed lime juice

Directions

Place all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake until the granita melts completely. Pour into a martini glass and serve immediately.

Cranberry Granita:

2 cups water
5 1/2 ounces cranberries, approximately 1 1/2 cups, washed and sorted
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon lime zest

Place the water, cranberries and sugar into a small saucepan, set over medium-high heat and simmer until the berries begin to pop, approximately 7 minutes. Remove from the heat. Puree with a stick blender, blender or food processor, for 1 minute. Pass the mixture through a fine mesh strainer directly into a metal 13 by 9-inch pan. Do not press on the skins. Simply allow the juice to drip through the strainer. Add the zest and stir to combine. Place in the freezer until set, at least 6 hours and up to overnight. Once frozen, scrape the mixture with a fork to create a shaved ice texture. Serve immediately.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Fresh Cranberry Cosmo
Andrea Henderson, NV 01-30-2010
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Thanksgiving hit
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Absolutely fantastic. Everyone loved it and super easy to make. I made a large amount, so I went with bottled lime juice,... instead of freshRead more
recipe Fresh Cranberry Cosmo
Rebecca Pittsburgh, PA 01-06-2010
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Favorite drink ever
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This is delicious! It's neither too tart nor too sweet, and the granita/lime combination plays very nicely with a variety of... liquors. I prefer to make this drink with rum rather than vodka--I know vodka is traditional in a cosmo, but I just don't like the taste much. Either way, happy drinking!Read more
recipe Fresh Cranberry Cosmo
Cara Rochester, MN 12-12-2009
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perfect both with and without alcohol!I
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this for a holiday party yesterday and was delighted! I made several with the vodka and lime, and some with sierra... mist cranberry splash soda (with or without the lime) and all incarnations were fantastic. I took some previous reviewers' advice and used plastic containers with lids to freeze my double batch, and also took the containers out of the freezer about an hour before the party. Let me tell you - the festive red color, and fantastic taste were the hit of the party! I will most certainly make this again. I also think that you could mix this with lemonade in the summer for a refreshing cooler, or a "hard" lemonade for a fun summer drink. I hope you all have a chance to make and enjoy this easy, impressive and delicious drink!Read more
recipe Fresh Cranberry Cosmo
carol darien, IL 11-30-2009
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fabulous
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made a batch in a smaller tupperware container and had no difficulties shaving the granida out with a fork. We added a... splash of contreau and slightly more grey goose vodka then indicated. Looking forward to another batch and may use orange flavored vodka and a little less sugar. This is also a wonderful non-alcoholic drink with spite or tonic. The red color is amazing.Read more
recipe Fresh Cranberry Cosmo
Miranda Eagle River, AK 09-26-2009
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Favorite Drink EVER!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Love, love, LOVE. This is by far my favorite mixed drink recipe, of any medium. It even tops the margarita in my book. I... buy about a dozen bags of cranberries when they come into season and keep them in the freezer just to make this recipe, and then make huge batches at a time of the granita and store it in my deep freeze. It doesn't bother me that it freezes solid - I chip out the portion I want and let it sit in the shaker until it's softened. It sounds like it would be a pain to measure, but I sit the shaker on a food scale and make the drink by weight. Once you try this, you won't go for the "typical" recipe ever again. I just moved to a new state and am waiting (im)patiently until cranberry season so that I can have this drink again.Read more
recipe Fresh Cranberry Cosmo
Mary Colorado Springs, CO 01-07-2009
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Fabulous Drink
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

We really love cranberries so were excited to try this recipe and I am so glad that we did. The drink was one of the hits of... our Christmas celebration. The only thing that I would do differently is to not freeze the Cranberry Granita for the recommended time. It was frozen SOLID and we were unable to shave it off as described. We had to let it sit for about 45 minutes until we could manage to shave it off. It was almost the consistency of a slushy when we mixed it with the lime and the vodka. All went well after this and they were fabulous. As we say in our home, "This is a do again." Read more