Image credit: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, 2004.
I’m a big fan of theme months on Cinema Sips, so imagine my surprise when I realized past themes have always centered around a particular film style, but never a cocktail. To switch things up, this month I’ve chosen a trendy spirit you might not already have in your bar, but probably should. Gotta have something to offer the hip millennials right? Campari fits the bill perfectly, and to kick things off, I’ll be watching the film that made this Italian aperitif cool again- Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (DVD/Download).
Inspired by the life and films of Jacques Cousteau, The Life Aquatic is a fairly mixed bag of Wes-isms. There are (slightly cheesy) stop-motion animation sequences, a dollhouse-like ship with incredibly specific room functions, odd but cool fashion choices, and a cast of regulars like Bill Murray, Anjelica Huston, Jeff Goldblum, and Willem Dafoe. Although this is essentially a Moby Dick story of an arrogant explorer chasing down the murderous and elusive jaguar shark, the complicated relationships Zissou has with basically everyone on his ship turn this into a heavier film than I might have expected. By the end, I’d laughed, I’d cried, and I’d started to google Italian Riviera vacations.
Steve Zissou is many things- explorer, terrible husband, flirt, friend, but most importantly, lover of Campari. Sophisticated and simple- splash some over an ice cube, add a twist of lemon, and you’ve got a drink fit for a dashing underwater explorer. While watching The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, I recommend drinking Campari on the Rocks.
Campari on the Rocks
Campari
Citrus Twist
Ice
Pour a generous amount of Campari over ice, and garnish with a lemon or orange twist. Sip, and think of the one that got away.
Being the style geek that I am, I can’t help but admire the Campari bottle itself. Not only is the label as cool as a Brazilian David Bowie cover artist, but the red liqueur looks fantastic against the mint green walls of The Belafonte. From Wes Anderson, I would expect nothing less. Cheers!
Cinema Sips 