Gourmet's Academy Awards Cocktails, Drink Recipes: 2000s Recipes + Menus : gourmet.com

The Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie gained breakthrough recognition for her role as a sociopath in the film Girl, Interrupted. Since then, she’s established herself as one of Hollywood’s gun-toting femmes fatales, thanks to sexy films like Mr. and Mrs. Smith and 2008’s Wanted. This cocktail—single-malt Scotch coupled with sweet, seductive elderflower liqueur—is all alcohol and a bit bad-ass, but a garnish of sliced kumquats gives it a delicate exoticism.

The Richard Jenkins

If you don’t know the name, despite Jenkins’s filmography, this might clue you in: He played the deceased father on the popular HBO show Six Feet Under. He’s been around for a while, but only recently (with his nomination for The Visitor) has he been getting the attention he deserves, rather like a whiskey sour. The cocktail is typically made with lemon juice, but Woodford Reserve bourbon—crafted in one of America’s oldest bourbon distilleries—muddled lime, and a few dashes of bitters give this drink its own personality. The addition of egg white is also enjoying a renaissance, and the result is a pleasantly frothy, well-balanced drink that isn’t completely new but is nonetheless stunning.

The Kate Winslet

It’s been said that Kate Winslet, nominated for her role as a former concentration camp guard in The Reader, doesn’t really drink, but she has been seen holding a glass of Champagne from time to time. For a cocktail that looks as aristocratic as Winslet does, start with a mixture of London dry gin and red-currant jelly and top it off with dry sparkling wine. Bejewel each glass with a garnish of fresh red currants.

The Brad Pitt

If you don’t remember Brad Pitt’s early role as a hunky cowboy hitchhiker in the film Thelma and Louise, you’ll probably want to go rent it—the part helped establish him as the heartthrob he is (even in the somber film for which he’s been nominated, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button). However, his pretty face wasn’t the only inspiration for this cocktail. In recent years, Pitt has devoted much of his time to supporting environmental awareness and responsibility, so this drink—made with organic lime, cucumber, mint, and vodka—is green in every way. It also resembles a tall, cool glass of water, not unlike its namesake.

The Meryl Streep

Champagne seemed the obvious choice for a drink fashioned after Meryl Streep, as it’s widely associated with style and class. Streep happens to be the most nominated actor in history—that goes for both Golden Globes and Oscars—and so, inspiration strikes in the form of cinnamon-flavored Goldschläger, with its novel flecks of gold leaf. Streep’s current nomination for her role as Sister Aloysius Beauvier in the movie Doubt led us to Benedictine, an herbal liqueur named after the Norman monks who first began making it in the early 16th century. It provides just the right finishing touch.

The Melissa Leo

Inspired by the tough, no-nonsense characters Leo has played in her career, this cocktail includes equal parts orange juice and aquavit—a union of sweet citrus and herbaceous spirit—rounded out by orange liqueur, lime juice, and a bit of vanilla extract. Crushed ice nods to the landscape of the film for which she was nominated, Frozen River, while a curly strip of orange zest pays whimsical tribute to the actor’s reddish-brown locks.

The Frank Langella

Frank Langella’s Oscar nomination comes for his portrayal of former President Richard Nixon in the film Frost/Nixon. Nixon’s favorite drink was the Mai Tai, a festive rum cocktail that gained popularity in Polynesian-style restaurants during the mid-20th century. The addition of Pimm’s No. 1 Cup, an English gin-based beverage with the subtle flavors of citrus and spice, is a nod to Sir David Frost, whose famous interview with Nixon was the basis for the movie.

The Mickey Rourke

Despite his rough-and-tumble public persona, Mickey Rourke doesn’t hide his love for his pet Chihuahua-terrier mix, Loki. In honor of that Mexican breed of dog, tequila is the foundation here. A dash of bitters seems appropriate (life hasn’t always been easy for Rourke), and as for the blood-orange juice? Well, one scene from The Wrestler involves a staple gun, barbed wire, and sutures. Luckily, this drink is much easier to take.

The Sean Penn

Penn’s rugged offscreen persona immediately made us think of whiskey, so we took bourbon as our starting point. In honor of his nomination for Milk, why not add some cream? We rounded out the drink with splashes of amaretto and orange liqueur. The result: a celebratory cocktail that is fruity, nutty, and rich.

The Anne Hathaway

During a recent appearance on The Tonight Show, Anne Hathaway (nominated for her role in Rachel Getting Married) mentioned her preference for a particular version of Margarita, so tequila is the starting point for this cocktail. From The Princess Diaries to The Devil Wears Prada, Hathaway’s characters tend to walk a line between femininity and tomboyishness. Served in a Martini glass with a twist, the Anne Hathaway presents itself as elegant yet unfussy.

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