The Mysterious History of Cosmopolitan Cocktails

THE MYSTERIOUS HISTORY OF THE COSMOPOLITAN

THE COSMOPOLITAN: A COCKTAIL WITH A MYSTERIOUS HISTORY

There are several different origin stories for the cosmopolitan cocktail. Some claim the sophisticated pink drink was invented by a bartender in Miami in the 1980s, others claim that its invention can be clearly traced to a bartender in New York City in 1988. Another claims that John Caine created the cosmopolitan based on cranberry-based cocktail recipes he had encountered when he was bartending in Provincetown Massachusetts. He moved to San Francisco and started his own bar and the Cosmopolitan became a trendy drink among the LGBTQ community that frequented his bar.

At the same time, the cocktail has also been connected to a well-known cranberry juice company’s attempt to market its product to adults in the 1960s.

The mysterious history of the Cosmopolitan may never be solved. However, the preferred version at Vancouver Mysteries is that the cosmopolitan we drink today is an evolution from the cocktail with the same name that was popular in the 1930s. Now known as the Cosmopolitan 1934, this version of the Cosmopolitan’s pink hue came from raspberry syrup instead of cranberry juice.

If you order a cosmopolitan today, it will likely contain these four ingredients: vodka, orange liqueur, cranberry juice and lime. This is the version we saw the characters in Sex in the City drinking in the 1990s – possibly the cocktail’s most popular decade. (This is also the version you will receive if you order a cosmo at our Murder at the Movies show at the VIFF Centre on August 7 and August 9.)

Whatever it’s true history, the word cosmopolitan can be defined as “having an exciting and glamorous character associated with travel and a mixture of cultures“. This makes it the perfect signature drink for our special event set in 1940s Vancouver, where guests will mingle with glamorous movies stars as the story unfolds.

The VIFF Centre has partnered with Vancouver Mysteries to transport you to 1940s Vancouver, where a red carpet premiere goes wrong. Murder at the Movies is the perfect local date night, inviting audiences to solve the mystery through puzzles and escape-room style challenges. You may even be invited to participate in the plot itself (but don’t worry, participation is always optional).

GET TICKETS HERE

Two cosmopolitans clinking glasses at VIFF Centre

Murder at the Movies dates: July 12, July 17, August 7 and August 9 at 8PM (with an additional showtime of 3PM on Saturday August 9).

About VIFF

Founded in 1982, The Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society is a not-for-profit cultural organization that operates the internationally acclaimed Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) and the year-round programming of the theatres at the VIFF Centre.

About Vancouver Mysteries

At Vancouver Mysteries, our mission is to provide a consistent 5 star fun experience to every guest while also breaking from stereotypes in the mystery genre and respecting the communities where our experiences take place. Vancouver Mysteries operates five outdoor escape games and two mystery dining experiences in downtown Vancouver 362 days a year while also collaborating with other local organizations, venues and performers to create new immersive experiences.

About Murder at the Movies

The owner of Vancouver Mysteries, Tanya Bennett, is the writer and director behind Murder at the Movies (this includes film segments, immersive theatre and the puzzles). The cast and crew are a team made up of both Vancouver Mysteries and VIFF people (stay tuned for our Meet the Cast & Crew announcement, coming soon!). The guests will be fans of film noir, immersive theatre, escape games and/or murder mysteries.