Oscar Cocktails Bonus: Love Unspoken (Carol)

Oscar Cocktails are inspired by this year's nominees for the Academy Award for Best Picture (plus two bonus cocktails). See recipes for all of this year's Oscar Cocktails here.


Set in the early 1950s, Carol tells the story of its title character (Cate Blanchett), who falls in love with Therese (Rooney Mara), a young woman working in a department store. While pursuing a divorce from her husband (Kyle Chandler), Carol pursues a relationship with Therese complicated by the times in which same-sex relationships were verboten. The film, directed by Todd Haynes, is nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Actress (Blanchett) and Supporting Actress (Mara). I was very surprised the film was not nominated for Best Picture. In fact, since the Academy expanded the slate of best picture nominees in 2009, this is the most nominations a film has received and not been a Best Picture nominee.

Carol has a beautiful classic 1950s look, so I wanted an elegant cocktail fitting for the times and representative of Carol and Therese's love. Carol drinks a martini several times in the film, so I took a dry gin martini as my starting point and made some modifications to fit the film's story and characters. I rinsed the glass with absinthe, a bitter fennel-flavored French liqueur that was banned in the United States for many years--not unlike the legal status of same-sex relationships, which were criminalized for decades and have only recently received full legal status. I sweetened the drink with two liqueurs to represent the two characters: Yellow Chartreuse for blonde Carol and maraschino liqueur for youthful Therese. The burlesque bitters add a touch of bitterness to the drink, symbolizing the bitterness that Carol and Therese must endure. The garnish comes directly from the film, since one of Carol's martinis was garnished with two green olives and a cocktail onion.

Bonus: Love Unspoken (Carol)

Inspired by Carol’s martini and her love for Therese, which at the time “dared not speak its name.”

1 tsp. absinthe

2 oz. Bombay Sapphire London dry gin

¾ oz. Dolin dry vermouth

¼ oz. Yellow Chartreuse

1 tsp. Luxardo maraschino liqueur

2 dashes Bittermens burlesque bitters

2 greens olives and 1 cocktail onion, garnish

Rinse a chilled cocktail glass with absinthe. Combine gin, vermouth, Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and bitters in a cocktail mixing glass with ice. Stir until very cold, then strain into the cocktail glass. Garnish with olives and onion.

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2016 Oscar Cocktails

Oscar Cocktails: Moscow Mole (Bridge of Spies)

Oscar Cocktails are inspired by this year's nominees for the Academy Award for Best Picture. See recipes for all of this year's Oscar Cocktails here.

Bridge of Spies is based on the true story of American lawyer James Donovan (Tom Hanks) who, in 1957, unsuccessfully defended Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) during Abel's trial as an accused Soviet spy. Donovan later successfully negotiated a prisoner exchange with the U.S.S.R. and East Germany, exchanging Abel for an American Air Force pilot captured by the Soviets and an American student held by the East Germans. The film is nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Supporting Actor (Rylance). It is the 10th film directed by Steven Spielberg to be nominated for Best Picture, following Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial, The Color Purple, Schindler's List (a Best Picture winner), Saving Private Ryan, Munich, War Horse and Lincoln.

This one was really too easy. Bridge of Spies is a spy story. Spies deal in secrets. A "mole" is a term for a spy. The Moscow Mule is a classic cocktail made with vodka, lime juice and ginger beer. To turn the Moscow Mule into the Moscow Mole, I added an ingredient with a secret recipe--Yellow Chartreuse, a French herbal liqueur that has been made for centuries by Carthusian monks. It's recipe is purportedly only known to the two monks in charge of production. Voila.

Moscow Mole (Bridge of Spies)
A riff on the classic Moscow Mule cocktail with Chartreuse, an ingredient with a secret recipe.

1 ½ oz. vodka
½ oz Yellow Chartreuse
½ oz. lime juice
4-6 oz. Fever Tree ginger beer
Half lime wheel garnish

Combine vodka, Chartreuse and lime juice in a copper mug filled with ice. Stir ingredients and top with ginger beer. Garnish with half lime wheel.
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2016 Oscar Cocktails

Oscar Cocktails: Brooklyn Heritage (Brooklyn)

Oscar Cocktails are inspired by this year's nominees for the Academy Award for Best Picture. See recipes for all of this year's Oscar Cocktails here.

Brooklyn, adapted from the historical novel by Colm Tóibín, is the story of Eilis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan), a young Irish woman who immigrates to the United States in the early 1950s. There, she begins a new life in Brooklyn, falling in love with a young Italian man, Tony Fiorello (Emory Cohen). The film is nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Picture and Actress (Ronan).

The basis for the Brooklyn cocktail was really obvious: the Brooklyn cocktail. It's a classic cocktail that's a riff on another classic--the Manhattan. While both drinks are made with rye whiskey and bitters, instead of the Manhattan's sweet vermouth, a Brooklyn calls for dry vermouth and, for sweetness, maraschino liqueur. To make the drink fit with the film, I used particular ingredients to represent the geography of the characters and setting. For Eilis's Irish heritage, I used Irish whiskey instead of an American rye whiskey. Tony's Italian heritage is represented by Luxardo maraschino liqueur and Carpano dry vermouth, both of which are made in Italy. Then Brooklyn itself is represented by the bitters. I used a blend of aromatic and orange bitters from Hella Bitters, which was founded in Brooklyn.

Brooklyn Heritage (Brooklyn)
A riff on the Brooklyn cocktail inspired by the film’s setting and the Irish and Italian backgrounds of its characters.

2 oz. Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey
¾ oz. Carpano dry vermouth
¼ oz. Luxardo maraschino liqueur
2 dashes Hella aromatic bitters
2 dashes Hella orange bitters
Maraschino cherry garnish

Combine whiskey, vermouth, liqueur and bitters in a cocktail mixing glass with ice. Stir until very cold, then strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with cherry.

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2016 Oscar Cocktails

Oscar Cocktails: The Strong (Room)

Oscar Cocktails are inspired by this year's nominees for the Academy Award for Best Picture. See recipes for all of this year's Oscar Cocktails here.

Room is a wonderful adaptation of Emma Donoghue's powerful 2010 novel about a young mother, Joy (Brie Larson), and her 5-year-old son, Jack (Jacob Trembly), who live in a garden shed they refer to as "room" and never leave, held captive there by "Old Nick," who kidnapped Joy years ago. Although Joy has shielded Jack from the truth of their situation, as he is now older, she begins to tell him the truth and hatches a plan with him for them to ultimately escape and undertake the difficult task of returning to normal life. The movie is nominated for four Academy Awards: Best Picture, Actress (Larson--who is the frontrunner), Director (Lenny Abrahamson) and Adapted Screenplay (Donoghue, adapting her own novel).

Of all of this year's films, Room was the most challenging to create a cocktail for. A story about a captive mother and child does not shout out "cocktail." There aren't the kind of sensual cues--drinking and dinner scenes--that sometimes provide inspiration.

I reached out to my Twitter followers for suggestions, and Mangia.TV, purveyors of incredibly good Cajun spice rubs, suggested the idea that put me on course: build the drink around the concept of "The strong." In the film, Jack has long hair because his mother has never cut it, telling him that's where he gets his strength, so he refers to it as "the strong." Later in the movie, when his mother is in poor health, he cuts his hair and sends it to her to give her the strength to recover. It's a sweet moment and an important concept in the film, which is ultimately about the strength to survive what life throws at you, whether that be the horrors of captivity or the challenges of everyday life.

So I wanted a drink that was, obviously, strong. I thought about the cocktails we'd had recently at The NoMad Bar in New York, several of which included cold-brewed coffee as an ingredient. Jack's hair is dark brown too, which was perfect for creating a drink that's dark brown in color. Using rye whiskey as a base, I added Averna, an Italian amaro, for bitter and sweet flavors and two liqueurs: the nutty walnut liqueur Nux Alpina Nocino and spicy-sweet Drambuie. Mole bitters add some additional spice. There's not a lot of coffee in this drink--and I didn't even steep it as long as most recipes recommend--yet the coffee flavor definitely comes through nicely along with the bitter, sweet and spicy flavors.

The Strong (Room)
A strong drink inspired by Jack’s hair—The Strong—a metaphor for the strength to be brave through the tough times.

1 ½ oz. Rittenhouse rye whiskey
½ oz. Amaro Averna
½ oz. Nux Alpina Nocino walnut liqueur
½ oz. Drambuie liqueur
½ oz. cold-brewed coffee (see note below)
2 dashes Bittermens Xocolatl mole bitters
Orange peel, garnish

Combine whiskey, Averna, liqueurs, coffee and bitters in a cocktail mixing glass with ice. Stir until very cold, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with orange peel.

Note: To make cold-brewed coffee, combine 3 tbsp. of coarsely ground coffee with 1 cup of cold water in a French coffee press. Let stand at room temperature for 6 to 12 hours (the recipe I used said 12 hours, but I did it for only 6, which was sufficient for the purposes of this drink), then slowly push down the coffee press plunger. Store coffee in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

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2016 Oscar Cocktails

Oscar Cocktails: Fury's Fuel (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Oscar Cocktails are inspired by this year's nominees for the Academy Award for Best Picture. See recipes for all of this year's Oscar Cocktails here.

Mad Max: Fury Road picks up the Mad Max movie franchise 30 years after the series'  third installment (Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome). If you're not familiar with Mad Max, it's a dystopian science fiction story, set in a future where Earth has become a desert wasteland and battle is waged over scarce resources--namely water and gasoline. The visually stunning, pulse-pounding film is nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Director (George Miller).

Mad Max is a rather bold film. It unfolds at break-neck pace and never lets up. There are few slow moments between the action, much of which is chase scenes involving futuristic motor vehicles moving across the wasteland. Translating all that into a drink, I wanted something bold that would assault the senses and nod to the film's automotive aspects. The drink had to be brown, obviously, and smoky, so I used a black spiced rum as the base with a bit of mezcal to add smoke, plus a flamed orange peel garnish. The german herbal liqueur Jaegermeister has a reputation as a party drink, so it seemed like a fitting choice to add some bitter and sweet flavors here, along with cinnamon syrup. I used grapefruit juice for some sour flavor and finished the drink with Bittermens tiki bitters for some additional spice.

Fury's Fuel (Mad Max: Fury Road)
Inspired by the film’s automotive themes and generally wild nature.

1 oz. Captain Morgan black spiced rum
½ oz. Marca Negra espadín mezcal
½ oz. Jaegermeister
½ oz. Cinnamon syrup (see note)
½ oz. grapefruit juice
Bittermens ‘Elemakule tiki bitters
Flamed orange peel garnish

Combine rum, mezcal, Jaegermeister,  Cinnamon syrup, grapefruit juice and bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until very cold, then strain into a chilled coupe. Flame the orange peel over the drink, then rub it around the rim before dropping it into the glass.

Note: to make cinnamon syrup, combine 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar and 2 cinnamon sticks in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool, discard cinnamon sticks, and store syrup in refrigerator.

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2016 Oscar Cocktails

Oscar Cocktails Bonus: The Lightsaber (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)

Oscar Cocktails are inspired by this year's nominees for the Academy Award for Best Picture (plus two bonus cocktails). See recipes for all of this year's Oscar Cocktails here.


Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the seventh live-action Star Wars movie, representing episode 7 in the cycle and set 30 years after 1983's Return of the Jedi. It tells the story of a young woman, Rey (Daisy Ridley), and a young man, Finn (John Boyega), who leave ordinary lives as a scavenger and trooper, respectively, to join The Resistance in battling the dark forces of Kylo Ren and the First Order. The film is nominated for five Academy Awards.

Alas, the latest Star Wars film was not nominated for Best Picture. But, I think it really should have been. After all, it's really great and wasn't nominating films that are both popular and acclaimed one of the reasons for expanding the best-picture slate beyond five films back in 2009? It's actually the first film in my lifetime that became the highest-grossing film of all time in the U.S. and was not nominated for Best Picture, an honor enjoyed by Avatar, Titanic, E.T. and the original Star Wars. So I had to make the movie one of my two bonus Oscar cocktails.

The Lightsaber is a tiki drink of sorts--it's colorful and fruity--but instead of rum, it has a split base of cachaça and mezcal, nodding to the smoke those hot lightsabers make as they slash through whatever finds its way in their path. It was Rey's journey I wanted to honor with this drink, specifically her picking up Luke's lightsaber to become the heir-apparent to the line of the Jedi. As much as possible, the drink itself looks like her lightsaber--it's blue and in a tall, thin, cylindrical glass. And her opponent in the movie's climactic lightsaber duel, Kylo Ren, shows up here too, since I used his action's figure's lightsaber as part of the garnish.

Bonus: The Lightsaber (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)

Inspired by Luke’s—now Rey’s—blue lightsaber and her duel with Kylo Ren in the snowy forest of Starkiller base.

¾ oz. Del Maguey Vida mezcal

¾ oz. cachaça

½ oz. light crème de cacao

½ oz. blue curaçao

½ oz. fresh lime juice

Bing cherry garnish

Combine mezcal, cachaça, crème de cacao, blue curaçao and lime juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until very cold, then strain into a collins glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with bing cherry (preferably skewered with an action figure’s lightsaber). Serve with a straw.

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2016 Oscar Cocktails

Oscar Cocktails: The Market Fizz(led) (The Big Short)

Oscar Cocktails are inspired by this year's nominees for the Academy Award for Best Picture. See recipes for all of this year's Oscar Cocktails here.

The Big Short dramatizes the late 2000s financial crisis caused by bad mortgage practices and is based on the book of the same name by Michael Lewis. The film is nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture, Supporting Actor (Christian Bale) and Director (Adam McKay).

The Big Short takes a serious complicated subject, the financial crisis of 2007-2008 that triggered a major economic recession, and manages to make a film that provides a lot of detail but in a way that's engaging, even funny at times with excellent performances from its all-star cast that includes Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt.

Because I've been so into "classic" cocktails lately, you'll find that a lot of this year's cocktails are rather...high-octane. The sort of cocktails that are mostly all booze and really should be sipped rather than gulped down. This one is comparatively lighter, but made with serious ingredients--not unlike the film that inspired it. We've got mezcal for all that money that went up in smoke, Green Chartreuse for money and greed, lemon juice to represent all those bad mortgage investments (a bad investment is sometimes called a "lemon") and ginger beer to give the drink some fizz...er, fizzle, just like the market did. That's actually the root of the this drink: a "fizz" is a cocktail with predominant sour flavor and carbonated water--which could be soda or tonic, but here I used ginger beer.

Market Fizz(led) (The Big Short)
Inspired by the Wall Street meltdown, the bad investments (lemons), greed and crushed hopes depicted in the film.

1 oz. Del Maguey Vida mezcal
1 oz. Green Chartreuse
¾ oz. lemon juice
1 tsp. agave nectar
1 oz. Fever Tree ginger beer
Lemon twist garnish

Combine mezcal, Chartreuse, lemon juice and agave nectar in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until very cold, then strain into a lowball glass filled with crushed ice. Top with ginger beer and garnish with lemon twist.

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2016 Oscar Cocktails

Oscar Cocktails: The Woods (The Revenant)

Oscar Cocktails are inspired by this year's nominees for the Academy Award for Best Picture. See recipes for all of this year's Oscar Cocktails here.

The Revenant tells the story of early 1800s American fur trappers fleeing from an Indian attack. When one trapper (Leonardo DiCaprio) is badly injured by a bear, another trapper (Tom Hardy) is assigned to tend to him but instead kills his son and buries the injured trapper alive, believing death will be soon. Instead, the trapper recovers and seeks vengeance. The brutal film is nominated for 12 Academy Awards--this year's most-nominated movie--including Best Picture, Actor (DiCaprio), Supporting Actor (Hardy) and Director (Alejandro G. Iñárritu).

When I was thinking of early ideas for this year's Oscar cocktails, I first envisioned The Revenant's drink as a cross between an Old Fashioned and a Sazerac, nodding to the movie's historical setting amid the wilderness of the Louisiana Purchase territory (the Old Fashioned is based on the earliest cocktails, and the Sazerac originated in New Orleans). But that was before I saw the movie, which his such a visceral experience. It's setting in the snowy woods struck me as particularly important, for the movie is as much about revenge as it is survival. So I took the drink in new direction, wanting ingredients that were woodsy and botanical. This has a somewhat long list of ingredients, but they all play off each other well--the woodsy flavors of bourbon, muddled fresh rosemary and Douglas Fir Eau de Vie with the botanical gin, a touch of smoke from the Scotch, and sweetness from the maple syrup, another tree-based ingredient. The original Revenant cocktail was good--I might share it later--but The Woods is even better.

The Woods (The Revenant)
A woodsy and botanical drink inspired by the film’s damp, cold forest setting.

2 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves
½ oz. Clear Creek Eau de Vie of Douglas Fir
½ oz. Laphroaig quarter cask Scotch whiskey
¾ oz. Buffalo Trace bourbon whiskey
¾ oz. Leopold’s American small batch gin
½ oz. Carpano Antica sweet vermouth
½ oz. maple syrup
2 dashes Fee Brothers whiskey barrel-aged bitters
Rosemary sprig garnish

Add rosemary leaves and Eau de Vie to a cocktail shaker and muddle. Add Scotch, whiskey, gin, vermouth, syrup, bitters and ice and shake until very cold. Strain into a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with rosemary sprig.

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2016 Oscar Cocktails

Oscar Cocktails 2016

And the Oscar goes to...

That's what we'll be hearing 24 times on February 28th, during ABC's telecast of the 88th Academy Awards. A night that will be surely filled with glamour, tributes and surprises.

This year's crop of Best Picture nominees is one of the strongest in years. I liked every one of these eight films, and I think they are all deserving of their nominations. In fact, I think two more films--Carol and Star Wars: The Force Awakens--were also deserving, so I went ahead and created  bonus Oscar cocktails for those movies too.

Creating this set of Oscar cocktails was a lot of fun, but it was also quite challenging. As in previous years, I have two important criteria for each drink: 1) it has to honor and represent the film, be it the film's settings, characters or themes, and 2) it has to be a really great cocktail. I'm not just throwing ingredients together. I want them to harmonize and balance into a drink that's enjoyable any time of year. I think I've achieved that this year. I hope you enjoy them also.

Below are the recipes for all 10 of this year's Oscar cocktails. Over the next two weeks, I'll also create separate posts that tell the story behind each drink, starting today with The Martian and Spotlight cocktails. Those posts will be linked to the names of the cocktails in this story as they go up each day. I also posted ideas for what to serve at your party (8-2-Eat: Oscar Party Fare).

Market Fizz(led) (The Big Short)
Inspired by the Wall Street meltdown, the bad investments (lemons), greed and crushed hopes depicted in the film.

1 oz. Del Maguey Vida mezcal
1 oz. Green Chartreuse
¾ oz. lemon juice
1 tsp. agave nectar
1 oz. Fever Tree ginger beer
Lemon twist garnish


Combine mezcal, Chartreuse, lemon juice and agave nectar in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until very cold, then strain into a lowball glass filled with crushed ice. Top with ginger beer and garnish with lemon twist.

Moscow Mole (Bridge of Spies)
A riff on the classic Moscow Mule cocktail with Chartreuse, an ingredient with a secret recipe.

1 ½ oz. vodka
½ oz Yellow Chartreuse
½ oz. lime juice
4-6 oz. Fever Tree ginger beer
Half lime wheel garnish

Combine vodka, Chartreuse and lime juice in a copper mug filled with ice. Stir ingredients and top with ginger beer. Garnish with half lime wheel.

Brooklyn Heritage (Brooklyn)
A riff on the Brooklyn cocktail inspired by the film’s setting and the Irish and Italian backgrounds of its characters.

2 oz. Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey
¾ oz. Carpano dry vermouth
¼ oz. Luxardo maraschino liqueur
2 dashes Hella aromatic bitters
2 dashes Hella orange bitters
Maraschino cherry garnish

Combine whiskey, vermouth, liqueur and bitters in a cocktail mixing glass with ice. Stir until very cold, then strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with cherry.

Fury's Fuel (Mad Max: Fury Road)
Inspired by the film’s automotive themes and generally wild nature.

1 oz. Captain Morgan black spiced rum
½ oz. Marca Negra espadín mezcal
½ oz. Jaegermeister
½ oz. Cinnamon syrup (see note)
½ oz. grapefruit juice
Bittermens ‘Elemakule tiki bitters
Flamed orange peel garnish

Combine rum, mezcal, Jaegermeister,  Cinnamon syrup, grapefruit juice and bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until very cold, then strain into a chilled coupe. Flame the orange peel over the drink, then rub it around the rim before dropping it into the glass.

Note: to make cinnamon syrup, combine 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar and 2 cinnamon sticks in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool, discard cinnamon sticks, and store syrup in refrigerator.

The Red Planet (The Martian)
Inspired by Mars’ red color and the fiery rockets needed to get there.

1 oz. Marca Negra espadín mezcal
1 oz. Mount Gay extra old dark rum
½ oz. Carpano Antica sweet vermouth
¼ oz. Aperol
¼ oz. Campari
1 tsp. agave nectar
2 dashes Angostura bitters
½ dash Bittermens Hellfire habanero shrub
Orange peel garnish

Combine mezcal, rum, vermouth, Aperol, Campari, agave nectar, bitters and shrub in a cocktail mixing glass with ice. Stir until very cold. Strain into a rocks glass with a single large-sphere ice cube. Garnish with orange peel.

The Woods (The Revenant)
A woodsy and botannical drink inspired by the film’s damp, cold forest setting.

2 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves
½ oz. Clear Creek Eau de Vie of Douglas Fir
½ oz. Laphroaig quarter cask Scotch whiskey
¾ oz. Buffalo Trace bourbon whiskey
¾ oz. Leopold’s American small batch gin
½ oz. Carpano Antica sweet vermouth
½ oz. maple syrup
2 dashes Fee Brothers whiskey barrel-aged bitters
Rosemary sprig garnish

Add rosemary leaves and Eau de Vie to a cocktail shaker and muddle. Add Scotch, whiskey, gin, vermouth, syrup, bitters and ice and shake until very cold. Strain into a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with rosemary sprig.

The Strong (Room)
A strong drink inspired by Jack’s hair—The Strong—a metaphor for the strength to be brave through the tough times.

1 ½ oz. Rittenhouse rye whiskey
½ oz. Amaro Averna
½ oz. Nux Alpina Nocino walnut liqueur
½ oz. Drambuie liqueur
½ oz. cold-brewed coffee
2 dashes Bittermens Xocolatl mole bitters
Orange peel, garnish

Combine whiskey, Averna, liqueurs, coffee and bitters in a cocktail mixing glass with ice. Stir until very cold, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with orange peel.

The Scoop (Spotlight)
Inspired by the reporters’ search for the big scoop and the black-and-white truth.

1 ½ oz. Buffalo Trace bourbon whiskey
½ oz. Becherovka
½ oz. Amaro Montenegro
½ oz. Kahlua
2 dashes Fee Brothers whiskey-barrel-aged bitters
1 dash chocolate bitters
Small scoop (1/4 cup) of Häagen-Dazs vanilla bean ice cream, softened
Rolled wafer cookie garnish

Combine whiskey, Becherovka, amaro, bitters and ice cream in a cocktail shaker. Shake until mixed and pour into a chilled coupe. Garnish with rolled wafer cookie.

Bonus: Love Unspoken (Carol)

Inspired by Carol’s martini and her love for Therese, which at the time “dared not speak its name.”

1 tsp. absinthe

2 oz. Bombay Sapphire London dry gin

¾ oz. Dolin dry vermouth

¼ oz. Yellow Chartreuse

1 tsp. Luxardo maraschino liqueur

2 dashes Bittermens burlesque bitters

2 greens olives and 1 cocktail onion, garnish

Rinse a chilled cocktail glass with absinthe. Combine gin, vermouth, Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and bitters in a cocktail mixing glass with ice. Stir until very cold, then strain into the cocktail glass. Garnish with olives and onion.

Bonus: The Lightsaber (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)

Inspired by Luke’s—now Rey’s—blue lightsaber and her duel with Kylo Ren in the snowy forest of Starkiller base.

¾ oz. Del Maguey Vida mezcal

¾ oz. cachaça

½ oz. light crème de cacao

½ oz. blue curaçao

½ oz. fresh lime juice

Bing cherry garnish

Combine mezcal, cachaça, crème de cacao, blue curaçao and lime juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until very cold, then strain into a collins glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with bing cherry (preferably skewered with an action figure’s lightsaber). Serve with a straw.

Related

Oscar Cocktails 2015

Oscar Cocktails 2014

Oscar Cocktails 2013

Oscar Cocktails: The Red Planet (The Martian)

Oscar Cocktails are inspired by this year's nominees for the Academy Award for Best Picture. See recipes for all of this year's Oscar Cocktails here.

The Martian, adapted from Andy Weir's popular novel, tells the fictional story of NASA astronaut  Mark Watney (Matt Damon), who is presumed dead and marooned on Mars when his crew must abandon their mission during a surprise storm. Watney must use his ingenuity to survive alone on the red planet and find a way to communicate with Earth so he may return home. The film is latest great science fiction epic from director Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner). It is nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Actor (Damon).

The Red Planet is one of several Oscar cocktails with a split base--meaning that rather than having the typical one base spirit, it has two--in this case mezcal and rum. This was a decision made for flavor, as well as color. I wanted the smokiness of mezcal to represent the rocket fuel needed for interplanetary travel, but the sweetness and brown color of rum as well. To make the drink the ruddy reddish-orange of Mars, I used equal parts of Campari (which is red) and Aperol (which is orange). When combined with the brown rum, you get that nice ruddy red-orange color like the surface of Mars.

When I first made this drink, I used all the liquors and served it "up" (i.e. without ice) in a coupe. It looked cool, but it was missing something, and it wasn't sweet enough. The added 1 tsp. of agave nectar was just enough sweetness to balance with the smoky and bitter flavors and serving the drink on the rocks--with a single large round ice cube--added an additional visual cue for how the drink is meant to represent Mars.

The Red Planet (The Martian)
Inspired by Mars’ red color and the fiery rockets needed to get there.

1 oz. Marca Negra espadín mezcal
1 oz. Mount Gay extra old dark rum
½ oz. Carpano Antica sweet vermouth
¼ oz. Aperol
¼ oz. Campari
1 tsp. agave nectar
2 dashes Angostura bitters
½ dash Bittermens Hellfire habanero shrub
Orange peel garnish

Combine mezcal, rum, vermouth, Aperol, Campari, agave nectar, bitters and shrub in a cocktail mixing glass with ice. Stir until very cold. Strain into a rocks glass with a single large-sphere ice cube. Garnish with orange peel.

Related

2016 Oscar Cocktails

Oscar Cocktails: The Scoop (Spotlight)

Oscar Cocktails are inspired by this year's nominees for the Academy Award for Best Picture. See recipes for all of this year's Oscar Cocktails here.

Spotlight is based on the true story of a group of Boston Globe reporters who uncovered the Catholic Church's cover-up of child sexual abuse among Boston-area priests. The film is nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo), Supporting Actress (Rachel McAdams) and Director (Tom McCarthy). It's considered a front-runner in the Best Picture race.

I had a good idea what I wanted to do with the Spotlight cocktail, but it took me three tries to execute it the way I wanted. My thought was to focus on the film's journalistic theme. Newspapers are, as they say, "black and white and read all over," so I wanted a drink with black and white ingredients. I thought about doing something with dark liquors like whiskey, amaro and coffee liqueur mixed with something white like vanilla ice cream. Hence, this was going to be dessert cocktail.

Getting the ingredients right was a challenge. On my first go, the ice cream didn't incorporate well with the other ingredients, ending up as a big lump in the drink. I needed to let it soften a bit first before mixing the cocktail. Because the ice cream is frozen, this cocktail requires no ice, and the ice cream cools the mixture as it melts and combines with the liquors. But if the ice cream is too cold, it won't melt completely. Setting it out for about 5 minutes did the trick.

I also needed to tweak the flavors to get the right. Initially, I made the drink with Carpano Antica sweet vermouth, but I thought its bitterness was getting in the way of the sweet creaminess of the ice cream. So I replaced it with Becherovka, an Eastern European herbal liqueur with prominent notes of cinnamon. This balanced much better with the other ingredients, making a smooth, satisfying drink. I garnished the cocktail with a rolled wafer cookie--a visual nod to the reporter's pencil--and called it "The Scoop," a double entendre for the drink's scoop of ice cream and shorthand for a breaking news story.

The Scoop (Spotlight)
Inspired by the reporters’ search for the big scoop and the black-and-white truth.

1 ½ oz. Buffalo Trace bourbon whiskey
½ oz. Becherovka
½ oz. Amaro Montenegro
½ oz. Kahlua
2 dashes Fee Brothers whiskey-barrel-aged bitters
1 dash chocolate bitters
Small scoop (1/4 cup) of Häagen-Dazs vanilla bean ice cream, softened
Rolled wafer cookie garnish

Combine whiskey, Becherovka, amaro, bitters and ice cream in a cocktail shaker. Shake until mixed and pour into a chilled coupe. Garnish with rolled wafer cookie.

Related

2016 Oscar Cocktails

Oscar Cocktails: Bonus - Gone Girl

This drink is part of my series of Oscar Cocktails inspired by the 2015 Academy Award nominees. See all of my Oscar Cocktails here.

Gone Girl, directed by David Fincher and adapted from the popular novel by Gillian Flynn, tells the story of a seemingly normal and happy couple, Nick (Ben Affleck) and Amy (Rosamund Pike), whose lives are forever altered when Amy goes missing. But the truth of her disappearance is far more complicated and twisted than it at first appears. Gone Girl is nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress (Pike).

At first blush, the Gone Girl cocktails looks like a sweet, refreshing drink--the kind of thing that would quench your thirst on a hot day. Yet this drink isn't all that it appears: it's got quite a fiery kick thanks to the spicy honey syrup made with Mike's Hot Honey. Sweet but with an unexpected fiery kick, just like Amy. The drink is also bright red, evoking the under-the-surface anger (and later bloodshed) in the film. I used Greenhook Ginsmiths American gin because it's made in Brooklyn, which is where Nick and Amy lived before moving to Missouri.

Oscar Cocktails: Bonus - Gone Girl

1 1/2 oz. American dry gin (Greenhook Ginsmiths)
3/4 oz. Campari
1 oz. lemon juice
1 oz. hot honey syrup (see note)
2 dashes cardamom bitters (Scrappy's)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Blood orange or lemon wheel garnish

Combine gin, Campari, lemon juice, hot honey syrup and bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until very cold. Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with citrus wheel.

Note: For hot honey syrup, combine 1 part Mike's Hot Honey, 1 part honey and 1 part hot water and stir to combine.

Related:

2015 Oscar Cocktails

Oscar Cocktails: American Sniper

This drink is part of my series of Oscar Cocktails inspired by the 2015 Academy Award nominees for Best Picture. See all of my Oscar Cocktails here.

American Sniper is based on the story of U.S. Navy Seal Chris Kyle, known as the deadliest sniper in the Iraq War. The film is this year's biggest box-office hit among the Best Picture nominees. It is nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Director (Clint Eastwood) and Actor (Bradley Cooper).

One of Kyle's happiest moments in the film is the night he meets his wife in a bar. They drink whiskey together, so for the American Sniper Oscar Cocktail, I wanted a cocktail they could have shared that night. Given that the film is about a sniper, I did a shot version, although I prefer the drink chilled and served up.

Oscar Cocktails: American Sniper

1 oz. rye whiskey (Bulleit)
1/2 oz. Jägermeister
1/4 oz. orange liqueur (Combier)
1/4 oz. Islay single malt Scotch (Laphroaig Quarter Cask)

Shot: Combine whiskey, Jägermeister, orange liqueur and Scotch in a tall shot glass (add the Scotch last). Chill, if desired.

Up: Combine whiskey, Jägermeister, orange liqueur in a cocktail mixing glass with ice. Stir until well chilled and diluted. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Float the Scotch on top. No garnish.

Related

2015 Oscar Cocktails

Oscar Cocktails: Birdman

This drink is part of my series of Oscar Cocktails inspired by the 2015 Academy Award nominees for Best Picture. See all of my Oscar Cocktails here.

In Birdman, an actor (Michael Keaton) best-known for playing a superhero years ago (sound familiar?) tries to resurrect his career with a serious Broadway play. In this year's race, it is the film with the best chance to unseat frontrunner Boyhood for the Best Picture win. Birdman is up for 9 Academy Awards, including Picture, Director (Alejandro González Iñárritu), Supporting Actor (Edward Norton) and Supporting Actress (Emma Stone).

The Birdman Oscar Cocktail looks to Keaton's superhero-character for inspiration. It's all about things a bird encounters in the wild: fir trees, flowers, bees (and thus honey). Among this year's Oscar Cocktails, this film was the hardest for me to represent. Yet, I really like this drink and tested several variations of it (some on the rocks, some with ginger) before deciding this is the best recipe.

Oscar Cocktails: Birdman

1 1/2 oz. American dry gin (Aviation)
3/4 oz. Clear Creek Eau de Vie of Douglas Fir
1/4 oz. elderflower liqueur (St. Germain)
1/2 oz. honey syrup (see note)
2 dashes grapefruit bitters (Scrappy's)
Rosemary sprig garnish

Combine gin, Eau de Vie, elderflower liqueur, honey syrup and grapefruit bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until very cold. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with rosemary sprig.

Note: To make honey syrup, stir together equal parts of honey and warm water until combined.

Related

2015 Oscar Cocktails

Oscar Cocktails: Boyhood

This drink is part of my series of Oscar Cocktails inspired by the 2015 Academy Award nominees for Best Picture. See all of my Oscar Cocktails here.

There has never been a movie quite like Boyhood. Filmed by director Richard Linklater in short segments over 12 years, it charts the evolution of a family during that time. It centers on Mason's (Ellar Coltrane) growth from age 6 to 18 but also shows how his parents--played by Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke--mature as adults as well. The film has been considered the frontrunner in this year's Best Picture race, although Birdman is hot on its heels. Boyhood is nominated for 6 Oscars, including Director (Linklater), Supporting Actress (Arquette) and Supporting Actor (Hawke).

Filming the movie over 12 years is a bit of a gimmick--a highly effective one in this case. Similarly, my Boyhood Oscar Cocktail is a bit of a gimmick: the ingredients spell out the name of the film. Nonetheless, it's still a great drink, a refreshingly citrus and slightly herbal rum cocktail.

Oscar Cocktails: Boyhood

Bacardi Light Rum, 1 1/2 oz.
Orange curaçao, dry (Pierre Ferrand), 1/2 oz.
Yellow Chartreuse, 1/2 oz.
Honey syrup 1/2 oz. (see note below)
Orange bitters, 2 dashes
Orange peel, garnish
Drizzle of fresh lime juice (1 oz., about 1/2 a lime)

Combine rum, orange curaçao, Chartreuse, honey syrup, orange bitters and lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until very cold. Strain into a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with orange peel.

Note: To make honey syrup, stir together equal parts of honey and warm water until combined.

Related

2015 Oscar Cocktails

Oscar Cocktails: Selma

This drink is part of my series of Oscar Cocktails inspired by the 2015 Academy Award nominees for Best Picture. See all of my Oscar Cocktails here.

Selma is a biographical drama about minister and civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. Rather than attempt to chart his entire life story, the film focuses on his 1965 efforts to march from Selma, Alabama to the state's capital, Montgomery, in an effort to raise awareness of widespread voter disenfranchisement preventing African Americans from voting. The movie is a testament to the bravery of these activists, whose nonviolent methods nonetheless subjected them to horrible brutality from police and others bent on stopping them. The movie is nominated for Best Picture and Best Song.

Because Selma is a movie depicting important historical events in the Civil Rights Movement, I wanted equality to be the theme behind this Oscar Cocktail. All of the ingredients are added in equal measure. It's a riff on other such cocktails like the Last Word.

Oscar Cocktails: Selma

3/4 oz. dark rum (Mount Gay Extra Old)
3/4 oz. Campari
3/4 oz. orange cognac liqueur (Grand Marnier)
3/4 oz. lime juice

Combine rum, Campari, liqueur and lime bitters in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until very cold. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. No garnish.

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2015 Oscar Cocktails

Correction: an earlier version of this recipe incorrectly called for lime bitters instead of lime juice.

Oscar Cocktails: The Imitation Game

This drink is part of my series of Oscar Cocktails inspired by the 2015 Academy Award nominees for Best Picture. See all of my Oscar Cocktails here.

When it comes to Oscar-nominated films, World War II has proven a rich source of material, and The Imitation Game covers yet another key aspect of the conflict: the code-breakers. The film focuses on the critical role of British mathematician Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch), who developed a machine to decode German radio transmissions--an early precursor of modern computers. Despite this accomplishment, Turing's life ended in disgrace within a decade after the war when he was discovered and prosecuted for his homosexuality. The film is nominated for 8 Oscars, including Best Picture, Actor (Cumberbatch), Supporting Actress (Keira Knightley) and Director (Morten Tyldum).

The Imitation Game cocktail is inspired by the film's setting during World War II, with ingredients from three of the key countries in the conflict: British gin, German Jägermeister and French Benedictine.

Oscar Cocktails: The Imitation Game

1 oz. London Dry gin (Beefeater)
1/2 oz. Jägermeister
1/2 oz. Benedictine liqueur
1/2 oz. simple syrup
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
Lemon twist

Combine gin, Jägermeister, Benedictine, simple syrup and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until very cold. Strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with lemon twist.

Related

2015 Oscar Cocktails

Oscar Cocktails: Whiplash

This drink is part of my series of Oscar Cocktails inspired by the 2015 Academy Award nominees for Best Picture. See all of my Oscar Cocktails here.

How far are you willing to go to be the best? That's the question at the heart of Whiplash, a film about a music student (Miles Teller) with designs on being a great jazz drummer who clashes with his school's sadistic jazz conductor (J.K. Simmons). The film is nominated for 5 Oscars, including Best Picture and Supporting Actor (Simmons).

For the Whiplash cocktail, I wanted a bracing drink that's strong and spicy. Something to knock you off your game just like Simmons' jazz teacher does in the film. It's also garnished with two toothpicks, like drumsticks, the movie's bloodiest weapon.

Oscar Cocktails: Whiplash

1 1/2 oz. rye whiskey (Bulleit)
1 oz. mezcal (Del Maguey)
1/2 oz. orange liqueur (Cointreau)
1/2 oz. sweet vermouth (Dolin)
2 dashes Fee Brothers whiskey barrel-aged bitters
2 dashes Bittermens Hellfire habanero shrub
Stemmed cherry and two toothpicks, garnish

Combine whiskey, mezcal, orange liqueur, vermouth and bitters in a cocktail mixing glass. Add ice and stir until very cold. Strain into a chilled coupe. Pierce the cherry with the two toothpicks at an acute angle and stick in the glass.

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2015 Oscar Cocktails

Oscar Cocktails 2015

In 20 days, one of the films pictured above will take home the film industry's highest honor: the golden statue standing atop a film reel that is the Academy Award for Best Picture. This year's slate tells the stories of a soldier, actor, boy/man, hotel clerk, mathematician, activist minister, scientist and music student. It's a slate that's half stories about real people, half stories set in the past, and half stories that take place wholly (or mostly) outside the United States. And all of them are great films (although not perfect).

As I've done the last two years, I'm celebrating the slate of Oscar Best Picture nominees with original cocktails inspired by the films. Each drink is based somehow on the movie: its themes, characters and/or settings. The drinks follow in the vein of cocktails I've been most interested in lately: old-school style drinks made with quality ingredients. Some of the drinks are also quite potent. Perfect for an Oscar party!

This year, I'm unveiling all of my recipes at once today. In the following weeks, I'll post individual pieces with the story behind each drink, adding links to the recipes below as the stories are posted (starting with The Theory of Everything and The Grand Budapest Hotel, which are up today). Keep your eyes peeled for a bonus cocktail too--one for a film that is nominated but not for Best Picture.

American Sniper
A whiskey cocktail the soldier and his wife could have enjoyed in the bar the night they met.

1 oz. rye whiskey (Bulleit)
1/2 oz. Jägermeister
1/4 oz. orange liqueur (Combier)
1/4 oz. Islay single malt Scotch (Laphroaig Quarter Cask)

Shot: Combine whiskey, Jägermeister, orange liqueur and Scotch in a tall shot glass (add the Scotch last). Chill, if desired.

Up: Combine whiskey, Jägermeister, orange liqueur in a cocktail mixing glass with ice. Stir until very cold. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Float the Scotch on top. No garnish.

Birdman
Douglas fir trees, elderflowers, honey--things a bird, or rather a Birdman, might encounter.

1 1/2 oz. American dry gin (Aviation)
3/4 oz. Clear Creek Eau de Vie of Douglas Fir
1/4 oz. elderflower liqueur (St. Germain)
1/2 oz. honey syrup (see note)
2 dashes grapefruit bitters (Scrappy's)
Rosemary sprig garnish

Combine gin, Eau de Vie, elderflower liqueur, honey syrup and grapefruit bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until very cold. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with rosemary sprig.

Note: To make honey syrup, stir together equal parts of honey and warm water until combined.

Boyhood
Inspired by the movie's gimmick of being filmed in segments over 12 years, this recipe spells out the film's name.

Bacardi Light Rum, 1 1/2 oz.
Orange curaçao, dry (Pierre Ferrand), 1/2 oz.
Yellow Chartreuse, 1/2 oz.
Honey syrup 1/2 oz. (see Birdman note above)
Orange bitters, 2 dashes
Orange peel, garnish
Drizzle of fresh lime juice (1 oz., about 1/2 a lime)

Combine rum, orange curaçao, Chartreuse, honey syrup, orange bitters and lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until very cold. Strain into a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with orange peel.

The Grand Budapest Hotel
An old-school cocktail like the hotel could have served, complete with Hungarian liqueur.

1 1/2 oz. Plymouth gin
3/4 oz. Zwack Unicum liqueur
1/2 oz. orange liqueur (Combier)
2 dashes lime bitters (Scrappy's)
Maraschino cherry garnish

Combine gin, liqueurs and lime bitters in a cocktail mixing glass with ice. Stir until very cold. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with cherry.

The Imitation Game
Ingredients from Britain, Germany and France nod to the film's World War II setting.

1 oz. London Dry gin (Beefeater)
1/2 oz. Jägermeister
1/2 oz. Benedictine liqueur
1/2 oz. simple syrup
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
Lemon twist

Combine gin, Jägermeister, Benedictine, simple syrup and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until very cold. Strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with lemon twist.

Selma
A drink made of ingredients in equal measure inspired by the film's depiction of the Civil Rights Movement's struggle for equality.

3/4 oz. dark rum (Mount Gay Extra Old)
3/4 oz. Campari
3/4 oz. orange cognac liqueur (Grand Marnier)
3/4 oz. lime juice

Combine rum, Campari, liqueur and lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until very cold. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. No garnish.

The Theory of Everything
A rum swizzle inspired by Dr. Hawking's study of black holes.

1 oz. black rum (Gosling's Black Seal)
1/2 oz. coffee liqueur (Kahlúa)
1/2 oz. vanilla syrup (see note)
1 oz. freshly squeezed orange juice
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Club soda
Orange slice garnish

Combine rum, coffee liqueur, vanilla syrup, orange juice and bitters in a highball glass. Fill with crushed ice and top with club soda. Using a swizzle stick, swizzle the ingredients to combine. Garnish with orange slice and serve with a straw.

Note: to make vanilla syrup, bring 1 cup of water, 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 vanilla bean split down the middle (with seeds scraped into the pan) to boil in a medium saucepan. Turn off the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Whiplash
A strong and spicy drink that tries to knock you off your game, garnished with two "drumsticks."

1 1/2 oz. rye whiskey  (Bulleit)
1 oz. mezcal (Del Maguey)
1/2 oz. orange liqueur (Cointreau)
1/2 oz. sweet vermouth (Dolin)
2 dashes Fee Brothers whiskey barrel-aged bitters
2 dashes Bittermens Hellfire habanero shrub
Stemmed cherry and two toothpicks, garnish

Combine whiskey, mezcal, orange liqueur, vermouth and bitters in a cocktail mixing glass. Add ice and stir until very cold and diluted. Strain into a chilled coupe. Pierce the cherry with the two toothpicks at an acute angle and stick in the glass.

Bonus Cocktail: Gone Girl
The refreshing and sweet look of this drink masks its fiery true self.

1 1/2 oz. American dry gin (Greenhook Ginsmiths)
3/4 oz. Campari
1 oz. lemon juice
1 oz. hot honey syrup (see note)
2 dashes cardamom bitters (Scrappy's)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Blood orange or lemon wheel garnish

Combine gin, Campari, lemon juice, hot honey syrup and bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until very cold. Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with citrus wheel.

Note: For hot honey syrup, combine 1 part Mike's Hot Honey, 1 part honey and 1 part hot water and stir to combine.

Related

2014 Oscar Cocktails
2013 Oscar Cocktails

Oscar Cocktails: The Grand Budapest Hotel

This drink is part of my series of Oscar Cocktails inspired by the 2015 Academy Award nominees for Best Picture. See all of my Oscar Cocktails here.

Highly stylized and beautifully cinematic like other Wes Anderson films, The Grand Budapest Hotel tells the audacious story of how a lobby boy (Tony Revolori) working in the eponymous eastern European hotel in the 1930s eventually becomes its owner after helping rescue the hotel's concierge (Ralph Fiennes) who is charged with murder and pursued by a relentless assassin (Willem Dafoe). The move is nominated for 9 Oscars (the most of any film this year, tied with Birdman), including Best Picture and Director (Anderson).

For The Grand Budapest Hotel Oscar cocktail, I wanted a drink that could have been served in the hotel's bar. Although set in the fictional country of Zubrowka, the film's title obviously nods to Hungary, so I wanted a Hungarian ingredient in the drink. I discovered Zwack Unicum, an herbal liqueur with a storied history almost as vivid as plot of the movie. Its recipe dates back to the 18th Century and has been held by the Zwack family ever since, whose distillery became one of Europe's greatest producers in the early 1900s. Their operation was destroyed during World War II but rebuilt afterwards. However, shortly afterwards, János Zwack and his son Péter immigrated to the United States to escape the Iron Curtain. To prevent it from falling into the hands of the nationalists, János carried with him the original Zwack liqueur recipe. Forty years later, Péter returned to their home country and resumed production of Zwack, which became available in the United States in 2013.

The drink's other main ingredients, Plymouth gin and Combier liqueur, would also have been available in the 1930s. The combination of gin, lime and Zwack is inspired by bartender Dick Bradsell's highball Hungarian riff on his Bramble cocktail.

Oscar Cocktails: The Grand Budapest Hotel

1 1/2 oz. Plymouth gin
3/4 oz. Zwack Unicum liqueur
1/2 oz. orange liqueur (Combier)
2 dashes lime bitters (Scrappy's)
Maraschino cherry garnish

Combine gin, liqueurs and lime bitters in a cocktail mixing glass with ice. Stir until very cold. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with cherry.

Related

2015 Oscar Cocktails