Ruby Cocktail

This Ruby cocktail is a drink made with many things I adore. I am also rather intrigued by it. While learning about it, I found several foods and drink websites that claim this “fruit-centric drink”, which is at times referred to simply as a “Ruby”, is made with vodka, Aperol, Saint Germain liqueur, ruby grapefruit, and was created by Tony Abou-Ganim – a professional bartender and author.

Sex In The City Fame

But in researching further, I also learned there is another similar cocktail Carrie and friends drank on Sex in the City back in the 90s, post the whole Cosmo craze, called “The Ruby”. I thought these two drinks had to be the same, but apparently, I was wrong. Unlike the Ruby cocktail described above, the Sex in the City cocktail was simply called, “The Ruby“.  Although both drinks have the same base of red grapefruit juice and vodka, “The Ruby” was void of Aperol and Saint Germain and was garnished with a grapefruit slice as well as a signature sugared glass rim.

The producers of Sex in the City credit the Florida Citrus Commission for “The Ruby’s ” invention. The Commission wanted to help increase the sale of grapefruit juice, so they persuaded the show’s directors to feature the grapefruit-centered drink on Sex and the City as a replacement for the Cosmopolitans they typically drank. The stunning ruby-red color was what won over the directors and convinced them to feature it on the hit show.

After its television debut, “The Ruby” went on to become so popular that the catch phrases; “I Rubied out last night” and “I completely lost my Rubies“, became common. But I think I’m too old to know about that!

Truthfully, the origin of anything in the food and beverage world is often questionable, pinning down who created something first can often be challenging, if not impossible.  Perhaps this is just a chicken-and-the-egg situation. I’ve never seen a Ruby cocktail on a bar menu, and I don’t recall “The Ruby” from that iconic show, but either way, I discovered this lovely vodka-based drink after reading about it and fell head over heels in love with its bold fruity flavor and subtle elderflower notes.