It’s that time of year again to pretend like the Oscars actually matter. I’m not complaining; this is practically my Super Bowl. So, if you’re planning on tuning in to the Academy Awards this year, I’m here to give you some cocktail inspiration whether you’re throwing a party or just hunkering down yourself.

Below you can find cocktails I made last year that were inspired by films nominated for an Academy Award this year. Additionally, I’ve also include a video that will not only demonstrate how to make the cocktail, but also give you my thoughts on the films if you feel so inclined. From Sinners to One Battle After Another, there’s plenty to choose from if you’re looking for new ways to rep your favorite film!

ASHES OF EYWA (Avatar: Fire & Ash)

This cocktail is inspired by the Mangkwan tribe, a collection of Na’vi that had their home destroyed by a volcano, and have thus, abandoned the teachings of Eywa. Seems a bit extreme when you have an afterlife where you can see all of your loved ones, but hey, you do you. Anyway, this is a bit of an interesting one, as we’re gonna be bringing a bit of heat through harissa. I haven’t used this on the show yet but I think it’s a good way to add some spice while also making the drink a tad exotic. The combination of that, pomegranate and mezcal are gonna make one interesting flavor pairing, alluring enough to make you turn your back on your god. Not really, but if you are looking to convert to the Church of Martini Shot, I will be holding confessionals

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5oz mezcal
• 1oz pomegranate juice
• 3/4oz lime juice
• 1/2tsp harissa
• 1/2oz agave syrup
• 1-2 habanero bitters
• Garnish: lime husk
• Garnish: Crouton
• Garnish: Overproof rum

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add ingredients to a shaker and shake with ice.
2. Double strain into rocks glass filled with ice.
3. For flaming lime boat, place the lime husk on top of the cocktail, then place a crouton in it. Carefully douse crouton with a small amount of overproof rum. Ignite crouton with lighter or match.
4. BLOW OUT AND REMOVE LIME BOAT BEFORE DRINKING

QUEEN BEE (Bugonia)

For this drink, I wanted to keep things nice and simple, because if you haven’t had a New York Sour before, hopefully this will convince you to do so. It’s essentially a whiskey sour with a little bit of red wine floated on top, which adds so much more complexity to the drink. But for the Queen Bee, we are going to be melding the New York Sour with another classic cocktail, the Gold Rush. This is gonna give the cocktail a slightly different, slight botanical taste compared to your regular New York Sour, while visually it’s going to reflect that red hot anger rising to the surface for our main characters. Lotioning up your body first is not required, but it is recommended.

INGREDIENTS

• 2oz overproof bourbon
• 3/4oz honey syrup/liqueur
• 3/4oz lemon juice
• Float: red wine

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add ingredients to a shaker and shake with ice.
2. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.
3. Gently pour red wine over the back of a spoon over the cocktail to make the red layer.

CORPSE REVIVER 1818 (Frankenstein)

The corpse reviver cocktails have been around for decades, potentially offering you the cure to hangovers with a little hair of the dog. Well allow me to offer you the hair of the guy I dug up from the graveyard. This rift on the reviver cocktail contains many of the same ingredients, but uses green chartreuse for a bit of a peppery bite and lime juice for a more mellow but still tasty final product. Now, I can’t guarantee that this will actually revive a corpse, but if you’re already dead, why deprive you of a good cocktail regardless? That’s what I thought.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5oz gin
• 1/2oz Lillet Blanc
• 1/2oz green chartreuse
• 1/4oz absinthe
• 1/2oz lime juice
• 1/4oz simple syrup
• garnish: lime wheel

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add ingredients to a shaker and shake with ice.
2. Strain into cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with lime wheel(s). If you’d like, twist and skewer them to make a spiral shape.

VIVE LES FRENCH 75 (One Battle After Another)

Look, how could I have a movie with a revolutionary group called the French 75 and not have the drink be some kind of riff on the popular cocktail. It’d be like reviewing The Blues Brothers without the Orange Whip, or Salo without the mudslide. But this isn’t any ordinary French 75. To match the dusty California desert setting, I’ve decided to introduce some hibiscus and peppercorn flavors to give it a bit of earthiness, along with some habanero for a little added spice. Yet this still retains the bubbly, sweet nature the original drink is known for. It’s a drink worth forgetting your family safe word for just so you can remember this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5oz hibiscus infused gin
• 1/2oz green chartreuse
• 1/2oz lemon juice
• 1/2oz agave nectar
• 2 dashes habanero bitters
• Top: champagne
• Garnish: lemon twist

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add ingredients to a shaker and shake with ice.
2. Strain cocktail into a chilled champagne flute.
3. Top with champagne.
4. Garnish with lemon twist.

SPINOSAURUS (Jurassic Park: Rebirth)

Everyone’s got their favorite dinosaur, from the t-rex to Barney. For me, I’ve always been partial to the Spinosaurus. It’s incredibly intimidating, but knows how to stunt on the other dinos with it’s cool back frill. Spinosaurus’s actually have a pretty fun sequence in this film, so I decide to base the cocktail around their appearance. The drink itself is a bit of a mai tai riff, containing the flavors of coconut, pineapple and a healthy does of rum. Don’t forget your half of a cocktail umbrella to give the drink the signature spine, and get ready to turn any shipwreck into an island adventure.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5oz pineapple rum
• 3/4oz orange curacao
• 3/4oz lime juice
• 1/2oz cream of coconut
• Float: 1/2oz dark rum
• Garnish: Half of a cocktail umbrella

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add ingredients to a shaker and shake with ice.
2. Strain into cocktail glass over ice.
3. Slowly pour the dark rum over the back of a spoon over the drink to create the layer effect.
4. Use scissors to cut off the bottom half of a cocktail umbrella, then garnish the drink with it.

VAMPIRE HUNTER (Sinners)

In my quest to vampire-proof cocktails, I have yet to find an adequate way to integrate wooden stakes and holy water into a drink, so I guess I’ll just have to settle on garlic. In truth, although garlic in a cocktail may sound strange at first, I actually find it to be incredible synchronistic with the flavors that come from bourbon and mezcal. Combined together, they create a smokey, pungent and slightly spiced experience that reminded me a lot of eating a steak with a little au jus. To drive the garlic home even further, you can garnish your cocktail with a clove (or two if you want to simulate a pair of vampire fangs).

INGREDIENTS

• 2oz bourbon
• 1oz sweet vermouth
• 1/2oz garlic syrup (1 cup of water + 1 cup of sugar + 4 garlic cloves)
• 2 dashes angostura bitters
• 1 barspoon mezcal
• garnish: garlic cloves

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add ingredients to a mixing glass and stir with ice.
2. Strain into chilled glass.
3. Garnish with garlic clove.