Movie magic will be the toast of Tinseltown on Oscar night, and what better way to bring the festivities couch-side than with a cocktail inspired by this year’s nominees?
We asked mixologists from around the country to come up with award-worthy recipes. So, dim the lights, set out the snacks and raise your glasses up, up in the air. Hurray for Hollywood.
A number of the drinks call for simple syrup, a common cocktail ingredient that is equal parts sugar and water. To make, heat 1 cup of water to near boiling. Add 2 cups of sugar, stirring until dissolved. Let cool before using. Refrigerate in an airtight container. The Associated Press
“Avatar” Ame Na’Vi
This cocktail uses Parfait Amour (or the more common blue curacao) to create a drink with a hue similar to the blue skin of the nature-loving Na’Vi in “Avatar.” Imagine enjoying it under the Tree of Life. From Rafael Jimenez Rivera, bartender at the Lobby Bar of the St. Regis in San Francisco, makes 1.
Ingredients
Ice
1 1/2 ounces gin
1 teaspoon dry vermouth
1 teaspoon Parfait Amour or blue curacao
1 teaspoon orange juice (no pulp)
Orange peel, for garnish
Directions
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine all ingredients. Shake, then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with strip of orange peel.
“Crazy Heart” Southern Heart
Mixologist Tara Shadzi of Sky- bar at Mondrian in Los Angeles used bourbon in tribute to Jeff Bridges’ washed-up country singer character in “Crazy Heart,” and added roses for love. Makes 1.
Ingredients
Ice
1 1/2 ounces bourbon
1 1/2 ounces elderflower liquor
Juice of 1/4 of a lemon
Rose petals (optional)
Directions
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine all ingredients except the rose petals. Shake, then strain into a cocktail glass. Float fresh rose petals on top.
“District 9” Alien Cooler
The movie about displaced aliens inspires a drink with a green theme. Slivers of cucumber add a tentacle effect. From Jon Ojinaga at the Redwood Room at the Clift Hotel in San Francisco, makes 1.
Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces julienned cucumber
Ice
1 1/4 ounces premium vodka
3/4 ounce Veev (or other acai berry liquer)
3/4 ounce lime juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup
Club soda
Cucumber slice, to garnish
Directions
Place julienned cucumber in a 10-ounce tall, narrow tumbler. Add ice, vodka, Veev, lime juice and simple syrup. Fill the glass with club soda. Stir to mix, garnish with a cucumber slice on edge of glass.
“An Education” Melrose Manhattan
A classic, sophisticated cocktail in tribute to “An Education,” a coming-of-age story set in 1960s England. From the Library Bar at the Warwick Melrose Hotel in Dallas, makes 1.
Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces bourbon
Splash of tawny port
Dash of juice from maraschino cherries
Directions
Mix and serve straight up (no ice) in a small tulip or snifter glass.
“A Serious Man”
The approaching storm at the end of “A Serious Man” inspired this drink, a take on the dark ‘n stormy. From Bryan Ranere of Foreign Cinema in San Francisco, makes 1.
Ingredients
Juice of 1/2 lime
3 ounces ginger beer
2 1/2 ounces premium dark rum
Lime peel, to garnish
Directions
Pour the lime juice into a tall glass. Fill with ice. Add the ginger beer, then pour the rum gently on top so it “floats.” Garnish with a strip of lime peel.
“Julie & Julia” Vin Amer Fizz
This drink is named Vin Amer Fizz in tribute to Julia Child and her legacy of bringing classic French dishes to American households. Vin is French for wine; amer means bitter, and fizz stands for good times. In true artisan fashion, mixologist Jackson Cannon starts with house-made rose vermouth. But for us servantless American cooks, a store brand works just fine. From Jackson Cannon of Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks in Boston, makes 1.
Ingredients
2 ounces rose vermouth
1 ounce apricot brandy
1/2 ounce lemon juice
1 egg white (or an equivalent amount of pasteurized egg white product, depending on preference)
Ice
Champagne
Directions
In a cocktail shaker, combine the vermouth, apricot brandy, lemon juice and egg white. Shake well to emulsify. Add ice, then shake again to chill. Strain into a coupe or martini glass. Top with champagne.
“Up” Ice Cream Float
“Up,” a movie about an old man and his young neighbor who fly in a balloon-powered house to South America, includes some San Francisco Bay Area landmarks, including the popular ice cream parlor Fenton’s Creamery in Oakland, Calif. Fenton’s master blender Scott Whidden came up with this recipe he says will take you “Up, up and away!”
Ingredients
Italian sparkling water
1/4 ounce orange syrup (such as Torani)
Premium vanilla ice cream
Directions
Fill a tall glass with sparkling water and the orange syrup. Mix, then stir 1 teaspoon of the ice cream into the soda until frothy. Gently top the soda with a scoop of ice cream.
“Up in the Air” Aviation
The skies inspire a cocktail for “Up in the Air,” a movie about a corporate downsizing expert with a passion for frequent flying. This classic cocktail dates to 1916, when flying was a newfangled adventure. The Creme de Violette gives the drink a tinge of blue sky. From Charles Joly of The Drawing Room in Chicago, makes 1.
Ingredients
Ice
1 1/2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce maraschino liqueur
1/3 ounce Creme de Violette (or blue curacao)
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1/4 ounce simple syrup
Lemon peel
Directions
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine all ingredients except the lemon peel. Shake well, then strain into a chilled martini glass. Twist a lemon peel over the surface of the drink to add a few drops of lemon oil.
