Oscar Party Cocktails: Beasts of the Southern Wild – The Bathtub
Based in the southern Louisiana bayou community called the “Bathtub,” Beasts of the Southern Wild, is a story about a five-year old girl named Hushpuppy and her unhealthy father. While other Bathtub residents flee due to the oncoming storm, the two decide to stick it out with a few others in their community.
I created a cocktail called The Bathtub, named after the community the movie is based in. This drink was inspired by Louisiana food and spirits. It uses Louisiana’s own Tabasco sauce, vodka dirtied up by Louisiana bayou seasonings, and is garnished with a hush puppy, after one of the main character’s names.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. dirty vodka (Ketel One infused with hot peppers, whole allspice, bay leaves, oregano and thyme)
- 2 oz. tomato juice
- 2 oz. of clamato juice
- 2 oz. beer
- Tabasco
- 1 raw oyster (optional)
- Cajun spiced rim (dry crab boil seasoning)
- Lemon wedge
- Lime Wedge
- Hush Puppy for garnish
Instructions:
Infuse vodka and let sit for at least one day and up to a week. Add vodka, tomato juice, clamato juice, Tabasco (to taste) and beer into a cocktail shaker with ice and stir until combined. Moisten a pint glass rim with a lime wedge and dredge the rim in crab boil seasoning. Pour mixture into rimmed glass and garnish with a skewer of lemon and lime wedges and one hushpuppy.
Oscar Party Cocktails: Amour – Perfect Love
Amour is a story about a couple’s struggle after the wife suffers a stroke. The couple, retired music teachers, are in their eighties and have a daughter who lives abroad with her family.
Because Amour is a French-language film, my cocktail for Amour is named after Parfait Amour, a floral infused liqueur, which is French for “perfect love.”
Ingredients:
- ½ oz. Parfait Amour
- ½ oz. Cointreau
- Top with Moet & Chandon Champagne
Instructions:
Add Parfait Amour and Cointreau into a Champagne flute and slowly top off with chilled Champagne.
Oscar Party Cocktails: Life of Pi – Richard Parker
Pi, a young man, is in the only one from his family who survives a shipwreck and is stranded on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean. Life of Pi unfolds as an adventure as Pi is stranded with a Bengal tiger.
The cocktail for Life of Pi is named after the Bengal tiger, Richard Parker. My inspiration for this drink came from locations and nationalities in the film. The Chai tea is for Pi’s Indian origin, while the Cointreau is for Pi’s name, Piscine Molitar, a swimming pool in France. The Yuzu juice is for the Japanese freighter ship Pi and his family are on and the Canadian whiskey is because Pi’s family was destined for Canada.
Ingredients:
- 4 oz. Chai Tea (hot brewed)
- 1 oz. Cointreau
- 1 oz. Crown Royal Canadian whiskey
- ½ oz. Yuzu Juice
Instructions:
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker without ice and stir well. Pour into a warmed brandy snifter and garnish with a lemon twist.
Oscar Party Cocktails: Les Misérables – Toulon
Taking place in 19th-century France, this movie is based on the musical Les Misérables, which is actually based on the French novel by Victor Hugo. The story follows Jean Valjean, an ex-convict, who becomes mayor of a town in France and struggles as he decides to care for a factory worker’s daughter, all while being hunted by a policeman.
Toulon is the name of this cocktail, inspired by and named after the city in which the prison Jean was in. It’s a classic French cocktail with spirits of the period and sugar and bitters because of the movie is bittersweet.
Ingredients:
- 3 oz. Hennessy
- 1 oz. Benedictine (herbal liqueur)
- 1 oz. dry vermouth
- ½ oz. lemon juice
- sugar cube
- bitters
Instructions:
Combine ingredients into a cocktail shaker half filled with ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and decorate with a lemon rind spiral.
Oscar Party Cocktails: Lincoln – Yankee Punch
Based on part of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s biography of Abraham Lincoln, the film follow’s the President’s struggles during the Civil War. Lincoln focuses on the President’s efforts to have the 13th amendment to emancipate the slaves passed by the House of Representatives.
The Yankee Punch, the cocktail for Lincoln, is a period drink based off of a classic brandy punch. I used Kentucky bourbon in this drink because Lincoln hails from Kentucky.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz. Curacoa
- 2 TBS White Sugar
- 3 oz. Bulleit Kentucky Bourbon
- ½ small lemon
- 2 oz. of soda water
Instructions:
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with shaved ice, shake well, pour into a Colins glass top with soda water, dress the top with fruit of the season.
Oscar Party Cocktails: Argo – Canadian Caper
A thriller based on the Iran hostage crisis in which the six fugitive American diplomatic personnel were rescued. In order to get them out, a CIA operative set up fake Canadian identities for the diplomats and a fake movie scouting.
The cocktail’s name is based on the article “Canadian Caper” and is a “fake” cocktail (non-alcoholic) about a fake movie. I wanted to make it a fun fruity, frozen cocktail…but if you want to be a little stealthy or covert in your drink making, slip in a shot of Canadian whiskey.
Ingredients:
- 1 pkg of Blue Raspberry Drink Mix
- 16 oz. Pineapple Juice
- 8 oz ice water
- 1 ½ oz. Canadian Whiskey (optional)
Instructions:
Blend blue raspberry drink mix and pineapple juice with ice in a blender until smooth and pour into a hurricane-style glass with a straw. Float the Crown Royal on the top filling the straw and garnish with a slice of orange and an umbrella and pretend you are whoever you are not…
Oscar Party Cocktails: Zero Dark Thirty – Midnight Shooter
“A story of history’s greatest manhunt for the world’s dangerous man,” this movie is a chronicle of the hunt for the al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden. This film is a dramatization of the operation by Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 that found and killed bin Laden in 2006.
This cocktail is actually a shooter – down and dirty, quick and easy. As a hard, gritty film, the shooter I created for Zero Dark Thirty is called Midnight Shooter because the operation takes place in the middle of the night.
Ingredients:
- ½ shot black Sambuca
- ½ shot Bulleit Bourbon
Instructions:
Refrigerate ingredients then LAYER in chilled shot glass by carefully pouring over the back of a spoon in the following order; bourbon then Sambuca
Oscar Party Cocktails: Django Unchained – Mandingo Sunset
Django Unchained is a wester film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. The film follows a slave who sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner with the help of a German bounty hunter.
I created a surreal drink for a surreal movie. The drink’s name, Mandingo Sunset, was inspired after they rode into the sunset at the end of the movie.
Ingredients:
- 3 oz. Bulleit Bourbon
- 2 oz. orange juice
- 1 oz. lemon juice
- ½ oz. simple syrup
- ½ oz. Maraschino syrup
Instructions:
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into ice-filled rocks glass. Drizzlle maraschino suyrup into the drink to create the sunset effect and garnish with orange.
Oscar Party Cocktails: Silver Linings Playbook
This romantic comedy-drama follows the story of a former teacher who moves back in with his parents after being in a mental institutation. He tries to reconcile with his ex-wife, but meets a girl with problems of her own and the two develop an odd friendship.
My cocktail, the Excelsior!, was inspired by a traditional drink from Philadelphia, the Philly Punch. Back in the Revolutionary War era, fisherman would gather to eat and drink, but at this time, individual cocktails were almost non-existent and punch was the customary way to drink with friends. The name for this drink comes from the main character’s mantra and the exclamation point is used to express the emotion “ever upward.”
Ingredients:
- 3 oz. Myer’s Dark Rum
- ½ oz. peach brandy
- ½ oz. lemon juice
- ½ oz. simple syrup
- top with ginger ale
- lemon wheel
Instructions:
Combine rum, peach brandy, lemon juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until chilled and pour into a 6 oz. wine glass. Top with ginger ale and garnish with a lemon wheel.
Oscar Party: Internationally-Flavored Popcorn
I created internationally-flavored popcorn based on the foreign-language film nominees. Recipes for each are below.
Amour – Austria
Ingredients:
- 1 bag of plain microwave popcorn
- 2 tbs Herbs de Provence
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp Fleur de sel
Instructions:
Pop the popcorn, then put it in a large ziploc bag. Evenly spray with a light coating of olive oil flavored cooking spray. Combine the other ingredients and add to the bag. Shake the bag to evenly coat the popcorn.
Ingredients:
- 1 bag of plain microwave popcorn
- 2 tsp ground white pepper
- 2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp ground cloves
Instructions:
Pop the popcorn, then put it in a large ziploc bag. Evenly spray with a light coating of olive oil flavored cooking spray. Combine the other ingredients and add to the bag. Shake the bag to evenly coat the popcorn.
No - Chile
Tacama’s spice mix is a mixture of herbs and indigenous ingredients from Patagonia in southern Chile.
Ingredients:
- 1 bag of plain microwave popcorn
- 1 dried red hot pepper
- 1 tsp dill seeds
- 1 tsp Chilean smoked sea salt
Instructions:
Pop the popcorn, then put it in a large ziploc bag. Evenly spray with a light coating of olive oil flavored cooking spray. Combine the other ingredients and add to the bag. Shake the bag to evenly coat the popcorn.
A Royal Affair - Denmark
Ingredients:
- 1 bag of plain microwave popcorn
- 1/2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp grated orange zest
- 1/2 tsp fennel seed
- 1/2 tsp anise seed
- 1/2 tsp caraway seed
- 1 tsp Danish smoked sea salt
Instructions:
Pop the popcorn, then put it in a large ziploc bag. Evenly spray with a light coating of olive oil flavored cooking spray. Combine the other ingredients and add to the bag. Shake the bag to evenly coat the popcorn.
War Witch - Canada
Ingredients:
- 1 cup real maple syrup
- ½ – 1 cup walnuts, chopped coarsely
- 9 cups plain popped popcorn
Instructions:
Heat maple syrup over medium heat until syrup reaches 236 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer. Lightly oil large mixing bowl. Mix popcorn, nuts and syrup with lightly-oiled spoon. When mizture cools, break off and eat.
Movie, TV, and Broadway Musical Inspired Halloween Party – The Addams Family
While envisioning your next Halloween party, a great way to create a unique theme would be to get inspiration from your favorite films, TV shows, books and even Broadway musicals. Drawing inspiration from plot, theme and characters can create a clever party from food, drinks and decorations that will really give your guests something to talk about!
Create a signature drink inspired by your favorite character or for each of the characters with a fun name and special ingredients that relate to the character’s traits, appearance and likes/dislikes.
When trying to plan the menu, think of items that will pair nicely with the selected character signature cocktail and name it something specific to the character or show.
Base decorations on the environments/locations in the film, book or show. Pick one location that you can really blow out for a highly theatrical party atmosphere.
This year I am inspired by The Addams Family. As a child, I loved to sit in front of the television and watch reruns of The Addams Family TV show. The Addams Family resonates with so many generations from the original cartoons of the 40’s and 50’s, the TV show in the 60’s and 70’s, the movies in the 90’s and the recent Broadway Show of today.
I don’t know anyone who can recall the iconic theme song…
You don’t have be a good singer, just have to be able to snap!
Having recently seen the Broadway musical, I was inspired to bring the characters to life, imagining what would be their favorite cocktail to serve at one of EVENTSTYLE’s Halloween parties.
Click below for links to food and drink parings inspired by the character from The Addams Family – The Musical Comedy.
Gomez Addams
Morticia Addams
Pugsley Addams
Wednesday Addams
Uncle Fester
Lurch
Watch Better TV for Mark’s Halloween Segment featuring The Addams Family Cocktails!
Based on the iconic characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams, The Addams Family is the smash hit Broadway musical now staring film, tv and stage star Brooke Shields as Morticia and Tony Award® winner Roger Rees as Gomez. THE ADDAMS FAMILY features an original story. It’s every parent’s nightmare. Your little girl has suddenly become a young woman, and what’s worse, has fallen deliriously in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family. Yes, Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has a “normal” boyfriend, and for parents Gomez and Morticia, it’s a shocking development that turns the Addams house upside down when they are forced to host a dinner for the young man and his parents.
For more information on The Addams Family Musical visit their website.
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