Frozen Cherry Cosmos Cocktail Recipe & Cocktail Guide

I would drink this even if it didn’t taste good.

Look at the colors!

Yes, I tried the Starbucks pink drink, but this is the pink drink I want right now—because vodka.

Here’s the thing: I’ve never been much of a frozen-drink person. Maybe when I was a teenager I loved the idea of those frosty vacation cocktails—strawberry daiquiris, pink drinks in beach photos—the kind of thing that belongs in your favorite chick-lit scene. Or something Nancy Meyers would put in a movie that you watch on repeat.

Mostly I prefer cocktails on the rocks. I don’t love extremes of temperature in food or drink—super hot or super cold rarely appeals. But a while back I made frozen coconut mojitos and got completely hooked. I remember the exact day I made them and how refreshing they were; they even cured a long-lasting headache for me.

The secret to this brilliant color and bright flavor is cranberry juice cocktail ice cubes. Pour cranberry cocktail into ice molds the night before so you have concentrated, fruity ice for blending.

• The flavor is intensified.
• The color goes neon pink.
• They look happy just sitting in the glass.

I’m not wild about plain cranberry juice on its own, but I love it in cocktails. Paired with tart cherry juice—my favorite juice for mixing—it’s tart, sweet, and bright with a squeeze of lime. Vodka gives it a clean kick, and Grand Marnier adds a subtle orange liqueur warmth that’s almost margarita-like but without tequila. The result is a refreshing, slushie-style cosmopolitan that’s gorgeous to look at and delicious to sip.

I really feel all new-age SATC now.