Picture this: the lights are low, the DJ just dropped the beat, and across the bar slides a martini glass glowing like neon candy. You take a sip, and boom—your childhood sweet shop just crashed into a sleek Manhattan cocktail lounge. That, friends, is the Candy-Flavoured Cosmopolitan.
It’s the kind of drink that makes serious bartenders smirk, only to sheepishly ask for the recipe later. Equal parts playground mischief and mixology mastery, it’s here to remind you that vodka isn’t just for espresso martinis and sad soda mixers—it can also taste like Skittles.
Step 1: Candy-Infused Vodka – Your New Best Party Trick
First things first: you can’t have a candy cosmo without candy vodka. Here’s how the pros (and by pros I mean bartenders who should probably be arrested for sugar smuggling) do it.
- Choose your weapon: Skittles, Jolly Ranchers, Starburst, or Life Savers.
- Color counts: Toss the dark candies. Purple and brown = swamp water. We want nightclub neon.
- Ratio rule: About 20–25 candies per standard 750ml vodka bottle.
- Dissolve & shake: Pop candies in a mason jar, cover with vodka, seal, and shake like you’re trying to get the bartender’s attention at peak happy hour.
- Time check: Jolly Ranchers and Life Savers dissolve in hours. Skittles and Starburst take a night. (A week? Please. You’ll drink it long before then.)
- Filter the gunk: There’s actually very little. But Coffee filter, cheesecloth, paper towel—whatever it takes.
- Rest: 1–2 days to mellow. Then you’ve got vodka that tastes like a candy aisle exploded—in the best way possible.
Pro tip: Jolly Ranchers give the cleanest colors and boldest flavors. Skittles make it cloudy but party-ready. Starburst turns creamy-fruity but messy. Life Savers sit somewhere in between.
Step 2: Turn That Vodka Into a Candy Cosmo
Now that you’ve got your liquid sugar high, it’s time for the glow-up. A cosmo is already a glamorous cocktail, but with candy vodka it becomes downright dangerous.
Candy Cosmo Recipe
- 1½ oz (45 ml) candy-infused vodka
- 1 oz (30 ml) cranberry juice (unsweetened if you can find it)
- ½ oz (15 ml) triple sec (Cointreau if you’re fancy)
- ¼–½ oz (7–15 ml) fresh lime juice
Method:
- Fill a shaker with ice like you mean it.
- Add everything in. Yes, all of it. Don’t “eyeball” it—this isn’t a frat party.
- Shake it hard—15 seconds minimum, until your arms regret gym day.
- Strain into a chilled martini glass.
- Garnish with a lime wheel, or toss a piece of candy on the rim if you want to get wild.
Flavor Pairings That Slap
- Green Apple Jolly Rancher vodka → Makes a sharp, electric-green cosmo that tastes like an orchard got lost at a rave.
- Cherry Life Saver vodka → Your cosmo becomes a cherry bomb in couture.
- Strawberry Starburst vodka → Smooth, fruity, like sipping a candy cloud.
- Skittles vodka rainbow mix → Chaotic good. It won’t win beauty contests, but it screams let’s dance until sunrise.
Shake it up
If the classic cosmo is Carrie Bradshaw in a slip dress, the candy cosmo is Carrie Bradshaw after three Red Bulls and a glow stick rave. It’s cheeky, it’s sweet, it’s slightly unhinged—and that’s exactly why you should serve it at your next cocktail night.
Because let’s face it: life’s too short for boring vodka. Throw in some candy, shake it up, and let the party taste like your childhood—just with way better glassware.
If you’re looking for something even more ridiculous, try our glow worm cocktail.