4 movie-themed cocktail, mocktail recipes to make your Oscars party the winner
Whether you’re hosting an Oscars party for one or 100, these easy drink recipes are as entertaining as the best picture nominees themselves. As the inaugural winner of Netflix’s “Drink Masters” and a veteran mixologist at the Emmy Awards bar, I know the best serves aren’t necessarily the most complicated. For your party, I designed three riffs on popular classic cocktails — and one shrub-based mocktail — that capture the spirit of this year’s most talked-about films. Best of all, they come together quickly, so you can get out of the kitchen and into the spotlight.
Mississippi Smoke Punch, inspired by Michael B. Jordan in “Sinners”
Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” is a Southern Gothic supernatural film set in the 1930s Jim Crow South. Michael B. Jordan delivers a dual-role powerhouse performance as twin brothers Elijah “Smoke” Moore and Elias “Stack” Moore, veterans who return home to open a juke joint, only to face an ancient, evil vampire trio. It’s a film rooted in heritage, resilience and the Delta blues. This cocktail is inspired by a classic Mississippi punch, traditionally made with a mixture of brown spirits, lemon juice, honey or simple syrup. Our version incorporates bourbon, Jamaican rum, lemon and peach syrup, delivering a bite that mirrors the film’s supernatural edge.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounce bourbon
- 1 ounce lemon juice
- ¾ ounce Monin peach puree
- ½ ounce Jamaican rum
- 3 fresh mint leaves, plus 1 sprig for serving
- Splash ginger beer
Instructions
- Add bourbon, lemon juice, peach puree, rum and 3 mint leaves to your shaker tin. Add ice, cover and shake 7 seconds.
- Strain into a rocks glass. Top with a splash of ginger beer and garnish with a mint sprig.
Serves 1.
The Apex Espresso Martini, inspired by Brad Pitt in “F1″
Brad Pitt stars as Sonny Hayes, a weathered, legendary driver pulled out of retirement to mentor a hotshot rookie. “F1″ is a high-octane, sleek and emotionally cool film about the relentless pursuit of perfection, symbolized by the quest to hit the apex (interior) of a curve for maximum speed. Here we elevate the classic espresso martini by adding blueberry syrup and salt to enhance the powerful flavor notes.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounce vodka
- 1 ounce espresso
- ¾ ounce blueberry syrup
- 1 tiny pinch of salt
- ½ teaspoon grated chocolate, for serving
- 3 espresso beans, for serving
Instructions
- Add vodka, espresso, blueberry syrup and salt to a shaker tin. Add ice, cover and shake hard for 7 seconds to create a thick foam.
- Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with grated chocolate and 3 espresso beans.
The Revolutionary French 75, inspired by Teyana Taylor in “One Battle After Another”
Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” is a sprawling political action movie. Teyana Taylor plays Perfidia Beverly Hills, the fierce leader of a far-left revolutionary group actually named the “French 75.” She is the haunting, emotional anchor of the film, a mother and a rebel whose radical choices spark the story’s 16-year journey. To honor Taylor’s revolutionary character, we’ve updated the classic French 75 with raspberry syrup.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounce gin
- ½ ounce raspberry syrup
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2 ounces prosecco or Champagne
- Lemon peel, for serving
- Raspberry, for serving
Instructions
- Add gin, raspberry syrup, lemon juice and salt to a shaker tin. Add ice, cover and shake for 7 seconds. Strain into a flute glass.
- Top with prosecco or Champagne. Garnish with a lemon peel and a raspberry.
Serves 1.
The Wildwood Healer mocktail, inspired by Jessie Buckley in “Hamnet”
Chloe Zhao’s “Hamnet” is a heart-wrenching immersion into 16th-century England. At its center, Jessie Buckley portrays Agnes Shakespeare as a woman of the earth, a healer and a mother who speaks the language of the forest. While the world around her feels the cold grip of the plague, Shakespeare finds solace in her honeybees and herb garden dedicated to medicinal plants. This beverage contains a shrub, a traditional fruit and vinegar elixir Agnes would have crafted to preserve the harvest.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounce Pentire Adrift or other white non-alcoholic spirit (optional)
- ¾ ounce Housemade Blueberry Shrub (see recipe) or Monin blueberry syrup
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 ounces Fever-Tree Mediterranean tonic water
- 1 rosemary sprig, for serving
Instructions
- Add Pentire Adrift if using, blueberry shrub and lemon juice to a shaker tin. Add ice, cover and shake for 7 seconds. Strain into a Collins glass containing ice.
- Top with tonic water. Garnish with a rosemary sprig.
Serves 1.
Housemade Blueberry Shrub
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- In a 1-gallon zip-close bag, combine blueberries, dark brown sugar and apple cider vinegar. Seal.
- Use your hands or a rolling pin to crush the contents of the bag until the berries are smashed. Let the bag sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
- In a pot over low heat, add the water and berry mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar is fully dissolved, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a glass jar. Will keep refrigerated in a sealed, airtight container for up to 5 days.
Makes 1¾ cups.
More Stories
The Latest
