The cocktail sports a varied reputation.

For some, it's classy and classic, a symbol of sophistication. For others, it's cheesy and saccharine. It may conjure up scenes from Mad Men or, conversely, scenes from Sex in the City. One person perceives the cocktail as stodgy and tedious, yet another finds it sexy. Meanwhile, someone else considers it strictly forbidden fruit.

Whatever your perspective, the cocktail is sure to leave an impression. Nowadays, the cocktail is enjoying quite a comeback as the craft cocktail movement enters its fifth wave. It has been noted we are currently living in the "Platinum Age of Cocktails," an epitaph that symbolizes the ongoing evolution of the cocktail and the significance of its past. Indeed, the cocktail has roots and is steeped in a rich culinary history.

This course explores the narrative timeline of this iconic beverage right up through today.

Over the years, attitudes toward alcohol and drinking fluctuated. Society's changing relationship with imbibing was often reflected in the arts, ranging from satire to the complex, character-driven commentary in literature and paintings to cutting-edge advertising and Hollywood movies.

Likewise, a number of social rituals resulted from our feelings toward drinking and toward the drinks, themselves.

As we journey through the history of the cocktail, this course will weave in an examination of some of the most emblematic depictions of drinking in the arts and our most cherished customs associated with the cocktail.