Cosmopolitan Cocktails are Back as the It Girl Drink of the Summer

Looking for a refreshing cocktail to sip in style this summer? Opt for a classic cosmopolitan à la Carrie Bradshaw.

Photo via Instagram/@angelinaparisusa

While there's still a time and place for all of the trendy drinks that have emerged as ultra-popular Internet-spurred cocktails—the Espresso Martini, the Aperol Spritz, and the Negroni, to name a few—there comes a moment when it's time to declare a new cocktail to sip on all summer long, and this season, that It girl cocktail is the Cosmopolitan.

Maybe it's the recently renewed interest in Sex and the City, or maybe it's the collective desire for a fun, refreshing pink drink to hold in hand, but either way, we're on board. Curious to know where the Cosmopolitan came from and how to make different variations of the beloved cocktail at home? Join L'OFFICIEL in exploring the history of the Cosmo, its legacy as Carrie Bradshaw's drink of choice, and ways modern mixologists are putting their own spin on the beverage.

History of the Cosmopolitan Cocktail

The history of the Cosmo is a highly contested one, with claims to fame from countless bartenders across the '80s and '90s and mixologist speculations that the cocktail actually emerged as a variant on an early 20th-century drink. Some speculate that the origins of the Cosmo can be traced all the way back to the 1930s, when the drink emerged as a variation of the Daisy, a similar drink, although it differs from the modern Cosmopolitan in that it is gin-based and contains raspberry syrup rather than cranberry juice. Mixology experts suspect that the association between the contemporary Cosmopolitan and the Daisy emerged as an origin theory based on several cookbooks from the ‘30s that refer to the Daisy as a “Cosmopolitan Daisy,” which would make the modern Cosmo we all know and love an offshoot of the Daisy.

Others have stated that the Cosmo was first created in the ‘70s, with places of origin ranging from a gay community in Provincetown, Massachusetts all the way to a landmark bar in South Beach, Florida. Either way, the modern Cosmo made its way across the country and landed in New York City, as many things tend to, around 1989. In the early ‘90s, the cocktail slowly started to emerge as a trendy drink in bars across the city, and in 1996 when Madonna was frequently spotted with a Cosmo in hand, the cocktail gained recognition across the United States—and a short time later, the rest of the world.

Chances are, the first time you sampled a Cosmopolitan cocktail was after the drink’s explosion in popularity, thanks to Sex and the City, where it was frequently featured in the hands of Carrie Bradshaw. Eventually, due to oversaturation, the drink fizzled out of popularity and was replaced as the It cocktail of the moment by the likes of the Aperol Spritz, the Espresso Martini, the Frosé, and the Negroni Sbagliato, but this season, it appears as though the Cosmopolitan is ready to make a comeback. Refreshing, just slightly sweet and tart, and readily available, it's no secret why the Cosmo is poised to emerge as the It Girl drink of the summer.

Cosmopolitan Cocktail Recipes

While the classic Cosmo has a fairly standard recipe—vodka, lime juice, Cointreau, and a splash of cranberry juice—innovative enthusiasts of the cocktail have come up with countless variations on the drink, ranging from gin and tequila alternatives to substituted fruit flavors to mocktail takes on the OG Cosmo.

Whether you're looking for a top-tier original Cosmopolitan recipe, a warm-weather-friendly frozen variant on the classic cocktail, or an ultra-fruity take on the Cosmo, we've got you covered. Take a peek at some of L'OFFICIEL's favorite Cosmopolitan recipes to file away for the warm spring and summer happy hours ahead.