5 Divine Cocktails for Your Oscar Party Inspired by the Best Picture Nominees
Move over, Neil Patrick Harris. We're vying for Oscar Host of the Year. Armed with these effervescent cocktail recipes, our Academy Awards party is really going to pop!
Inspired by the Best Picture nominees, the mixologists at New York City hot spot The Roof pooled their cocktail expertise with their love of film to create some truly showstopping sips. Read on for five delicious cocktails and the inspiration behind them. Cheers!
Birdman (pictured above)
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Old Forester bourbon.5 oz. Benedictine2 shots of bitters.25 oz. DemeraraDirections: Combine ingredients and serve in a rocks glass, with orange twist placed like a "v" on top.
Inspiration:
"The Birdman cocktail is liquid form of Michael Keaton's character," explained drink creator, Matthew Charles (General Manager at The Roof). Keaton's character, Riggan Thompson, has rose to fame playing the titular superhero and, years later, is now trying to pave his way on Broadway. Charles' cocktail mixes bourbon whiskey, a nod to Riggan's past fame, while the sweeter accents of Demerara leave you wondering whether he really left all of his fame in the past. Make sure you garnish with a fresh orange peel shaped into a "V" to mirror Birdman's iconic wings.
Selma
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Woodford Reserve.5 oz. fresh lime.25 oz. Demerara.75 oz. apricot liquor3 dashes AngosturaDirections: Serve on the rocks with a spoonful of Laphroaig float.
Inspiration:
Selma is an emotional film which recounts the historical 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches in Alabama, led by Martin Luther King, Jr.. The movement was instrumental in the fight for equal voting rights for African-Americans. Created by Dana Waldron, bartender at The Roof, the 'Selma' cocktail is an homage to the Deep South with its main ingredient, Woodford Reserve bourbon whiskey, originating in Shively, Kentucky.
The Theory of Everything
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Stoli1 oz. Singani.5 oz. lemon.75 oz. simple syrupMuddled strawberriesDirections: Mix ingredients, serve in a coup topped with Prosecco, and garnished with a mint leaf.
Inspiration:
Dana Waldron, bartender at The Roof, was inspired by The Theory of Everything's beautiful story of theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking and his wife, Jane Wilde Hawking. "This cocktail uses vodka, strawberries, and brandy to tell of the sweetness yet sophistication of the couple and their unique relationship with each other," said Waldron.
The Imitation Game
Ingredients:
1 Muddled orange slice1 oz. JP Wisers Rye1 oz. Jager Spice.5 oz. Fresh lemon juiceDirections: Shake, pour over fresh ice in a rox glass with a sugar rim.
Inspiration:
Alexia Loukopoulos, bartender at The Roof
The Imitation Game recounts the life of British cryptanalyst and computer scientist Alan Turing, who is best known for cracking Nazi Germany's naval Enigma code. "This cocktail’s main ingredient, JP Wiser's Rye, a Canadian rye whiskey, represents an 'imitation'—it does not taste like a regular American whiskey, but has a sweeter effect that is not at all expected, much like the Enigma codes," explains Alexia Loukopoulos, bartender at The Roof and creator of the mellow sip.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. cinnamon infused Casamigos Blanco.75 oz. apricot liquor.5 oz. fresh limeDirections: Mix ingredients and serve in a rocks glass, with a half salted and cinnamon rim.
Inspiration:
The Grand Budapest Hotel, is a dazzling whodunnit set in the fictional alpine country the Republic of Zubrowka. When Monsieur Gustave H. is framed for murder, his hotel protégée Zero sets off on an adventure to prove his mentor's innocence. Created by Matthew Charles, General Manager at The Roof, this cocktail was inspired by the lies and secrets of Zero's world. "This cocktail features a balance of cinnamon tequila and sweet apricot liquor, which leaves both a guilty and innocent taste," said Charles.