The cosmopolitan is a pink-hued martini that rose to popularity on HBO’s “Sex and the City,” which debuted in 1998.
The cosmo, as it is also known, has stood the test of time for the ladies in the show, appearing in episodes of the 2021 “Sex and the City” sequel “And Just Like That.”
The drink, like a lot of vintage cocktails, is making a comeback, said Scott Shaffer, managing partner at Bridges & Bourbon in Downtown Pittsburgh.
“I think the cosmopolitan has always been a classic cocktail that is approachable to a lot of people as it is light and flavorful,” said Shaffer, whose restaurant is one of several featuring the cocktail at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Cosmopolitan Pittsburgh on Saturday.
“Like most things today, there is a trend of what was popular 20 to 30 years ago is now popular again, and that’s why you are seeing a resurgence of this cocktail.”
“It is so refreshing with just the right amount of sweetness,” said Barry Young, co-founder and master distiller at Pennsylvania Pure Distilleries’ Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka and BLY Silver Rum in Glenshaw. His business creates the Blood Orange Cosmo Craft Cocktail — a premixed drink that is ready to serve, so people don’t have to have multiple ingredients at home and the amount of each ingredient is measured perfectly, Young said.
It has Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka, blood orange for notes of citrus, raspberry and cranberry, and a touch of lime.
Boyd & Blair will have a cosmopolitan tasting bar at Cosmopolitan Pittsburgh, which is taking place at the newly renovated Greer Cabaret Theater, Downtown. Participants putting their own spin on the cocktail include Con Alma, Braddock’s Rebellion, Morton’s, Bridges & Bourbon, Meat & Potatoes, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Ritual House.
Shaffer said when creating Bridges & Bourbon’s take on the cocktail, other than the two standard elements of vodka and cranberry juice, they aimed to incorporate ingredients that people would not think of for a classic cosmopolitan while maintaining the same flavor profile people would expect.
Their drink is called the “S-Carrie,” a play on Carrie from “Sex and the City” and the fact the event is happening near Halloween, Shaffer said. It has Boyd & Blair Vodka, sage and honey simple syrup created by infusing sage leaves with the honey, cranberry juice, champagne vinegar and lemon juice with a lemon garnish.
“We incorporated ingredients like sage, honey and a shrub of champagne vinegar to provide a different take on the cocktail,” Shaffer said. “It is something that we like to do with our cocktail program at Bridges & Bourbon, in which each menu we create we take four or five classic cocktails and put them on our menu with our own little twists.”
Ritual House, Downtown, will serve a dragonfruit cosmopolitan.
“When we conceived Ritual House, one of our goals was to make Pittsburgh more cosmopolitan,” said co-owner Lisa Pollock. “We aspired to have people say that ‘this reminds me of Pittsburgh’ and not some other sophisticated city. The dragonfruit cosmopolitan is Pittsburgh in a glass.”
Tickets are $150. For more information or to purchase, visit trustarts.org.
