For Boston-area bartender and author Thea Engst, 39, “Sex and the City” wasn’t just a show, it was an education in glamour, friendship, and, of course, cocktails.

“I’ve been a big fan of the show since I was young and my parents had no idea I was watching it,” she laughs. “When I was asked if I was available to write this book, I immediately jumped at the opportunity. I know this is such a cliche, but in a way, these women raised me.”

Her new book, “Sex and the City Cocktails” (Insight Editions, distributed through Simon & Schuster), out now, is a love letter to both the show’s iconic nightlife and the evolution of cocktail culture itself. Engst, who has helmed bars across Somerville and beyond — from The Independent to River Bar — brings more than a decade of recipe development experience to this sparkling tribute.

The inspiration came naturally. “A big part of ‘Sex and the City’ is enjoying the restaurant and bar scene and sharing food and drinks with your best friends,” she says. “It had never been done before, so I couldn’t resist.”

Of course, no discussion of “Sex and the City” cocktails could start anywhere but with the Cosmopolitan. The drink became a fifth main character: pink, flirty, and ever-present. But Engst didn’t want to just recreate the classic; she wanted to reimagine it. “I wanted each Cosmo for each leading lady to link to their character,” she explains. “For Carrie, I thought of the image of her on the bus — that iconic dress Charlotte calls the ‘naked’ dress. Carrie’s feelings are so transparent, she wears her heart on her sleeve. How can I tell that story with liquid?” The result? A clarified Cosmo with just a hint of blush instead of the drink’s signature fuchsia hue.

Each of the show’s heroines gets her own suite of drinks, evolving as the characters themselves do. Miranda’s offerings shift from sharp and cynical to more grounded — including a Brooklyn-inspired cocktail for her later seasons — while Charlotte’s are elegant and floral. Samantha’s? Bold, unapologetic, and sometimes a little dangerous. “It depends on the day,” Engst says. “That’s what I love about it. The drinks move with the progression of the characters over time.”

But while “Sex and the City Cocktails” leans heavily into the show’s glam aesthetic, it’s not just for seasoned mixologists or fans with an overflowing bar cart. “I really wanted it to be approachable,” Engst says. “Something the average person could open and make at home, but also something that an experienced drinker would find exciting.”

She describes her process as equal parts creative and exacting. “The hardest part is when you have a vision and it just doesn’t work out,” she admits. “I’ll work for hours on one drink because I get stuck on one detail. Sometimes I have to walk away and come back to it. Maybe it doesn’t need to be purple, maybe it doesn’t need to be on fire.”

Still, there are a few standouts she’s especially proud of. “I really like Flirtinis on the Roof,” she says, referencing the episode where the women toast in Samantha’s new apartment in the Meatpacking District. “It’s a great summery drink for people who like tequila and want something a little different. That one made me proud because it’s not normally in my wheelhouse.”

Another favorite: The Jerry Jerrod, a mocktail honoring Samantha’s actor boyfriend and his sobriety. “When I first started writing cocktail books, publications really pushed against mocktails. This was the first recipe book where I was asked to include low-ABV and alcohol-free recipes. A drink doesn’t have to have alcohol to be fancy, delicious, and celebratory,” Engst says.

That balance between sophistication and inclusivity mirrors how cocktail culture itself has evolved since “Sex and the City” first aired. “It’s so different now,” Engst says. “Gen Z isn’t as into alcohol, which is totally great, and the current economy makes it harder for people to go out like these fictional characters did. But people still want to share a meal, to ‘cheers’ over their apps. It’s the same language, different font.”

Engst says her approach to bartending has always been about accessibility. “I really try not to gatekeep,” she says. “Bars can be intimidating. There’s a lot of jargon, a lot of pressure to ‘know’ things you don’t need to know because you’re not in the industry. But guess who does know? Me. So my goal is to educate, not intimidate.”

For readers looking to channel their inner Carrie or Samantha, Engst has one piece of advice: don’t overthink it. “When you’re making a syrup or infusion, think of it like baking: Time and temperature matter. But when you’re mixing, it’s more like cooking. You can add a little more of what you like. Once you learn your flavor preferences, you’ll start to see how things come together naturally.”

As for how to enjoy the book, Engst insists there’s no wrong way. “It can be a girls’ night in, or you’re rewatching ‘Sex and the City’ from the beginning, or even just cleaning your apartment. Just enjoy it.”

Looking back, Engst still seems delighted, and a little incredulous, that her name now sits beside a franchise that defined so much of modern pop culture. “It’s been almost 30 years,” she says. “All these years later, I still remember my sister bringing the DVDs home and us watching them on her laptop. To think now that I’m part of this story, it’s surreal. I’m so grateful and excited, and I hope other ‘Sex and the City’ lovers, or even people new to the show, will love this book as much as I do.”