By Isabella Weist
Image by Charlotte Britt
Pink, polished and everywhere, the cosmopolitan cocktail became popular in the late 1980s, and has been an icon of female nightlife ever since.
The time old question is where this iconic drink originated from. The simple answer is that no one exactly knows. There were claims to fame coming from all around the United States, ranging from Florida to New York City to Minnesota. But, no single origin has been pinpointed. The origin of the well known Cosmopolitan name comes from the Greek word kosmopolitēs, meaning citizen of the world, very fitting for this unprovenanced cocktail.
In the 1960s, the Cosmopolitan magazine reinvented itself by revolutionizing how women’s sexuality, independence, and career ambitions were discussed in mainstream print media. The cocktail’s name was inspired by this empowering publication. In the 1990s, the cosmopolitan cocktail took empowering women to heart and lived up to its name. The most memorable era of its influence began in 1998, when Sex and the City aired. The cosmopolitan was a regular when it came to cameos in this glamorous series. This iconic show shattered long-standing cultural taboos around female sexuality. The main character, Carrie Bradshaw, along with her group of female friends, were rarely seen without a cosmopolitan in hand. Making the cocktail a symbol of female nightlife. Ordering this drink became synonymous with a girls night out, along with the vibrant gossip and the female empowerment that followed.
The cosmopolitan wasn’t one to follow trends. During the 1980s and 1990s, the modern mixology movement gained momentum through its principles of using fresh and house-made ingredients, extreme control over technique and precision, along with reviving classic drinks. The cosmopolitan becoming popular during an era such as this was unusual. A basic cosmopolitan consists of vodka, cranberry juice, orange liqueur and lime juice. These ingredients were basic market goods and did not live up to the high standards involved in the current mixology field. The modern mixology movement felt elitist and turned many off from cocktail culture. Since a cosmopolitan is easily replicable, anyone could buy the ingredients from a local market and become a mixologist while being introduced to simple and enjoyable cocktail culture.
The cosmopolitan opened a gateway to a fun, glamorous night out for women. It wasn’t intimidating to try this funky cocktail, instead anyone was welcomed. Who would have thought that such a simple drink could represent sisterhood, nightlife and a memorable experience for all.
