We’ve gone to great lengths to showcase why pizza is one of the most diverse food groups in the world. However, do you know what boasts even more variety than the best food groups out there? It’s something that is universally served at most restaurants: alcoholic beverages! Mixing and matching cocktails is a practice that dates back decades, and it’s a process that has led to the birth of some of the most famous drinks out there. Cosmopolitans may be the most noteworthy of the bunch; we’ll tell you everything you need to know about them below!
The Complex Origin Story
At first, you might believe that the cosmopolitan is a drink that only came to be recently – like the espresso martini, for example! However, the cosmopolitan has been around for almost a century now, with the first recorded recipe appearing in a mixed drink recipe book in the early 1930s. Over the next few decades, however, several bartenders across the country would claim to be the inventor of the popular drink. While some of them may have helped to migrate the drink to their area, none of them can be credited with inventing it.
How It Rose To Popularity
While versions of the drink would be rolled out in the 1930s and the decades that followed, it wouldn’t achieve widespread popularity until around the 1990s. It was around that time that the TV show Sex and the City was watched in living rooms across the United States. It was a show that frequently mentioned cosmopolitans, which would play a big role in its growth throughout the country. In fact, they even alluded to this fact in the movie adaptation of the show years later, saying that they stopped drinking them because everyone else started!
Variations
The main recipe for the cosmopolitan contains a mix of vodka, Cointreau, and fresh cranberry and lime juice. However, what makes the regional variants different from one another revolves around what kind of vodka is used. In more traditional recipes (including the recipe book from the 1930s), citrus flavored vodka served as the main alcoholic ingredient. The aim was for the fruitiness of the other ingredients to complement the drink. Many bars will choose to use unflavored vodka for more modern versions of the recipe.
Pizza and Cocktails at Quattro
If you’re a fan of brick oven pizza and cocktails that are made with love and care, Quattro will be right up your alley! We specialize in our signature brick oven pizzas and a variety of Italian dishes that are a perfect fit for the North End. If you’re in the mood for a cosmopolitan, get the best option with us by making a reservation today!