The girl next door is the most classic of classic tropes in romantic comedies. In the most literal sense, she’s often the childhood best friend of the protagonist — maybe she grew up one house over, and they’ve stayed close throughout the years. In a less literal sense, the “girl next door” also has come to stand in for a sweet, approachable, unassuming woman, often positioned in a love triangle as the foil to a more outgoing, glamorous woman. Although the trope hasn’t exactly stood the test of time, it remains a staple in today’s rom-coms, many of which play with the construct and subvert our expectations of what a “girl next door” can be.

In celebration of the girl next door — and of all of our favorite rom-com tropes — we partnered with Cointreau, the iconic orange liqueur, to bring you a love story of our own. In the final episode, comedian Simone Norman and mixologist Greg Titian’s love story ends as it began — in their apartment building, where Norman is literally Titian’s girl next door. We filmed our rom-com at the Refinery Hotel, and below we’ve included the recipe (courtesy of Cointreau) for the cocktail that Titian and Norman enjoy together in this episode, The Cosmopolitan. It’s the perfect romantic drink for a girl next door, as Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw can attest.

Cointreau and vodka come together to make the perfect pink cocktail in The Cosmopolitan. So pour yourself a drink, curl up, and queue up your favorite rom-com. And if you’re in the mood to watch the queen of cosmopolitans herself, Cointreau and Vulture are also bringing you a free screening of Sex and the City on March 25 — just RSVP here to reserve your spot and a kit of supplies to make your own cosmo. (Plus, don’t miss the first two episodes in this series: The Meet Cute and The Plot Twist.)

Illustration: Courtney Wells

The Cosmopolitan

Ingredients:

Steps:

(Double recipe for two cocktails.)

All videos were filmed using proper COVID-19 safety protocols.