Dramas

L.A. Confidential

March 31, 2014September 21, 2023 LizLocke2 Comments

Gangsters and high-class prostitutes. 1950’s movie stars. Glamorous fashions. Russell Crowe when he was young and thin. That’s right, I’m talking about L.A. Confidential (DVD/Download). This 1997 film based on a James Ellroy novel and directed by Curtis Hanson is one of my all-time favorites, and an absolutely perfect movie to pair with a cocktail. L.A. Confidential deserves and needs your undivided attention, so put down the phones and laptops, and make your drink before you press Play because the plot has more twists and turns than a street in the Hollywood Hills.

L.A. Confidential centers on three LAPD cops iwho find their cases intersecting in one riveting vice/homicide mash-up. Guy Pearce plays bookish detective Edmund Exley, Russell Crowe plays the heavy-handed goon/good guy Bud White, and Kevin Spacey is the fun-loving Jack Vincennes who stumbles onto a vice case that was more than he bargained for. I love the way the script weaves back and forth between their cases, until eventually they are knotted together. Kim Basinger turns in a great performance as Lynn Bracken, the sex worker dolled up to look like Veronica Lake. I love movies that reference classic cinema, and it’s a lot of fun to see actresses/models cut to look like Lake, Ginger Rogers, and Rita Hayworth. Of course one of the best scenes comes at the hands of Vincennes and Exley interrogating Lana Turner and Johnny Stompanato. I laugh every time because it’s one of the rare comedic moments in this pulpy noir film (outside of any scene with Danny DeVito of course).

For my cocktail this week, I’m serving up a drink that would have been fashionable around the time this movie takes place. It was popularized by Raymond Chandler, another Noir writer, though I’m making it a little differently than he would have. In The Long Goodbye, he called for simply “half gin and half Rose’s lime juice,” but I like to add a little simple syrup to my gimlet. After all, Bud White is a sweetie at heart!

White Gimlet

2 oz gin

½ oz Lime Juice

½ oz Simple Syrup

Lime wedge for garnish

Mix gin, lime juice, and simple syrup together in a cocktail shaker over ice. Strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with lime.

This film makes me so nostalgic for the glamour of Tinseltown, because even when they’re crawling around looking for dead bodies or roughing up a gangster at an abandoned motel, these cops still call each other by their full names and wear hats. Things were so civilized back then! Enjoy L.A.Confidential as you sip your gimlet, and try not to get so drunk that you end up whispering “Rollo Tomasi” in your husband’s ear for the millionth time while he tries not to become annoyed with you (not that I’m speaking from experience). Cheers!

Comedies

The Royal Tenenbaums

March 25, 2014April 1, 2018 LizLockeLeave a comment

A recent screening of The Grand Budapest Hotel has inspired me this week to revisit my favorite Wes Anderson film, The Royal Tenenbaums (DVD/Download). Of course I love any film by this director who has such a keen eye for style, but my personal favorite is still this 2001 ode to dysfunctional families and Nico. It’s quirky, it’s stylish, and it’s heartfelt (I dare anyone not to feel saddened to their core as Elliott Smith’s ‘Needle in the Hay’ frames a character’s suicide attempt), but it’s also delightfully funny in other moments. With The Royal Tenenbaums, Wes Anderson has created a world that seems so real that I feel like I could just put on a Lacoste polo dress and aviator sunglasses and step right in.

This film tells the story of the wealthy Tenenbaum family and the struggle of the patriarch Royal to bring them back together. Gene Hackman does a phenomenal job of playing the hilarious and conniving Royal, and Anjelica Huston brings an unexpected softness to the part of his estranged wife Etheline. Their three children are played by Gwyneth Paltrow, Luke Wilson, and Ben Stiller, and all three are former child prodigies who have grown up to be adult messes. Anderson regulars Bill Murray and Owen Wilson round out the cast, along with the sadly now-deceased Kumar Pallana (or Pagoda as I’ll always think of him). Of course the sets and costumes are phenomenal, like a 1970’s dollhouse come to life. There are the typical Wes Anderson quirks, like a pet hawk named Mordecai, and Dalmatian mice, and of course the soundtrack is perfect in every way. A mix of The Rolling Stones, Velvet Underground, Paul Simon, and a plucky orchestral score, the music of The Royal Tenenbaums always makes me feel like I’ve just raided the record collection of a very cool relative.

For my cocktail pairing, I wanted to find something that seemed classic yet eccentric, sort of like the characters in this film. I scoured my bar to come up with a list of ingredients that would be off-putting on their own, yet when brought together would make a wonderful union. I call this week’s concoction the Tenenbaum Toast.

1 ½ oz Deep Eddy Grapefruit Vodka
½ oz St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
½ oz Key Lime Juice
1 oz Club Soda
1 tsp Grenadine

Fill a champagne flute or small glass (the more unusual the better!) with crushed ice. Combine first three ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake until chilled. Strain into prepared glass and top with club soda and grenadine. Dalmatian straw optional.

The pink color of this drink is meant to match that beautiful “Wes Anderson Pink” (as I like to call it) that covers the walls of the Tenenbaum house, as well as much of The Grand Budapest Hotel. I like to think that Margot Tenenbaum would enjoy one of these in the bathtub with her clandestine vintage cigarettes, as her old television teeters perilously close to the water. So as Wes Anderson is showered with accolades for his latest film, I urge you to take the time to re-discover one of his older works with a strange and wonderful cocktail. If you want to go all out, layer on the eye liner and watch with a bored expression. Cheers!

Classic Films

Vertigo

March 17, 2014August 30, 2022 LizLocke2 Comments

While planning an upcoming trip to San Francisco, I felt inspired to watch a film that beautifully captures the scenery, the history, and the mystery of this city. I settled on the Alfred Hitchcock classic Vertigo, which is sometimes remembered more for Jimmy Stewart’s odd Technicolor acid trip dream sequence, but in my mind will always be remembered for a beautiful Kim Novak throwing herself into the San Francisco Bay as the Golden Gate Bridge frames the scene. It’s a dark, confusing tale that manages to make even sunny California seem downright sinister. Furthermore, it’s the rare movie where Jimmy Stewart is a bit of a creep, hobbled by his fear of heights and a strange attachment to a lost love. He’s not exactly a villain, but making your new girlfriend dye her hair and dress up like your old dead girlfriend is definitely on the disturbing side.

In Vertigo (DVD/Download), Jimmy Stewart plays retired police detective Scottie Ferguson, who is hired by an old college friend to investigate the friend’s wife, played by Kim Novak (long before Botox and surgery froze her face- see 2014 Academy Awards). She is suspected of either being insane, or of actually being inhabited by the soul of a long-dead woman named Carlotta Valdes. Of course Scottie falls for her, shortly before she appears to throw herself out of the bell tower of an old California mission. The plot is initially a bit confusing, but Hitchcock manages to brilliantly weave everything together so that in the end it all makes perfect sense. Jimmy Stewart turns in a performance that’s intense and manic (I’d go so far as to call him the Nicolas Cage of the 50’s in this), and the Edith Head costumes for Kim Novak are so wonderful that I would gladly trade places with her for a day (though only as Madeleine Elster and not cheap, tawdry Judy).

My cocktail pairing for Vertigo is a San Francisco classic. Many believe that this drink was first served in the United States at San Francisco’s famed Buena Vista Café, the recipe having been brought over from Ireland by travel writer Stanton Delaplane. I’ll certainly be stopping at the Buena Vista to sample the real thing, but in the meantime, while watching Vertigo, I recommend making an Irish Coffee.

Irish Coffee

1 cup hot coffee

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 ½ oz Irish Whiskey

Heavy cream, slightly whipped

Pour piping hot coffee into a warmed glass mug until it is about ¾ full. Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Blend in Irish Whiskey. Top with the whipped heavy cream by pouring gently over the back of a spoon. Serve hot.

This drink will warm you up as Hitchcockian suspense sends shivers up and down your spine, and images of foggy evenings and the woman in the grey wool suit make you colder just watching them. I’m sure Kim Novak and Jimmy Stewart could have definitely used a couple of Irish Coffees after their dip in the San Francisco Bay. Watching this film reminds me what a master filmmaker Hitchcock was, and it makes me even more excited to visit the city where ghosts and intrigue mingle with fog and warm whiskey. Cheers!

Classic Films

Where the Boys Are

March 10, 2014December 20, 2017 LizLocke1 Comment

It’s spring break in Austin, TX and you know what that means- millions of co-eds fleeing in search of sandy beaches, while millions of music, film, and internet movers-and-shakers descend on the city to fill up our restaurants and hotels during the SXSW Festival. If I still got a spring break, I would definitely be heading for the beach, but since I don’t, the next best thing is watching a movie about spring break at the beach. No, I’m not talking about Spring Breakers– yikes! Rather, I’m watching Where the Boys Are (DVD/Download), a delightful film from 1960 starring Connie Francis, Dolores Hart, and a very young George Hamilton. Yes, that George Hamilton of the tangelo tan. The movie may have been somewhat racy for the time, (Necking on the beach! Giving it up to a Yale-y in a seedy motor lodge! Underage drinking- oh my!) but now it’s just quaint and adorable.

Where the Boys Are follows four northern co-eds who head to Ft. Lauderdale for spring break. Of course they meet boys and each girl must decide it she’s a “good girl” or a “bad girl” when it comes to shacking up. Except Connie Francis, that is, who unfortunately gets saddled with a dialectic jazz musician who looks to be about 40 years old but is playing 20. A self-professed girl’s hockey team member, she’s definitely the Lady Edith of this movie. Dolores Hart fares a little better with rich playboy-with-a-heart George Hamilton, and Paula Prentiss is matched with her usual co-star Jim Hutton (presumably because they’re both about 6 ½ feet tall). Then there’s poor Yvette Mimieux. She plays the girl who’s desperate to hook an Ivy Leaguer so she can drop out of college and be a housewife. Feminists would probably have a field day with this movie, but I look at it as simply her choice. I chose to stay in college, have a career, and make a great life for myself, but to each her own.

My drink this week is tiki-inspired, sort of a rum version of the Cosmopolitan. Fruity and boozy, this cocktail is a great way to kick off a week away from school. Even if you’re not sipping it while laying by the beach or pool, it’s still like a vacation in a glass. When you’re watching Where the Boys Are, I highly recommend drinking a Beachcomber.

2 oz white rum

¾ oz Cointreau

¾ oz fresh lime juice

½ tsp of maraschino liqueur

½ tsp simple syrup (optional, to taste)

Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker over ice. Shake well, then strain into a coup glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and a tiny umbrella.

With its catchy Connie Francis tunes, cute 60’s bikinis, Modcloth-esque dresses, and candy-colored motel set, this movie is pure fun. Think of it as a pre-Sex and the City, long before Carrie Bradshaw ever strapped on her Manolos. In Where the Boys Are, female friendship trumps boys every time, and even the sordid melodramatic scenes are still relatively innocent. Really, underwater bar mermaid Lola Fandango is about as trashy as this film gets. If spring break in Florida was actually as fun as it appears to be in this movie, I might be tempted to go back to school. Cheers!

Dramas

Blue Jasmine

March 5, 2014September 20, 2023 LizLocke10 Comments

After a very late night spent watching The Oscars on Sunday, I admit I had a tough time getting up the next morning. The only thing that got me out of bed was the promise of seeing a recap of last-night’s dresses all over the internet. I admit that I did pretty darn well in my office Oscar pool, though of course there were some definite sure things on the ballot this year. One of those sure things was Cate Blanchett, who very deservedly won her Best Actress statuette for Blue Jasmine. In celebration of her victory as well as her unfailingly good fashion sense, I’m watching the wonderful film for which she was honored.

Blue Jasmine (DVD/Download) tells the story of a wealthy New York socialite whose cheating, embezzling husband commits suicide while in prison for his financial crimes. Broke and lost, Jasmine seeks refuge at her sister Ginger’s apartment in San Francisco. Throughout the film, we discover that Jasmine’s seemingly perfect former life with her husband (played by Alec Baldwin) was decidedly imperfect. Jasmine manages to torpedo her own life as well as everyone else’s around her, resulting in a well-dressed shell of a woman who talks to herself and drinks Stoli martinis like they’re going out of style. Written and directed by Woody Allen, this film is very reminiscent of A Streetcar Named Desire. Bobby Cannavale is definitely no Marlon Brando, but Blanchett is a fabulous stand-in for Vivien Leigh.

For anyone watching this movie, you’ll notice that Jasmine drinks an awful lot of vodka. Specifically, her drink of choice is a Stoli martini. It’s a classic, but a classic for a reason. I’ve always preferred a twist of lemon over an olive in a martini because I think the tart lemon flavor complements the vodka much better than what is essentially a ball of salt at the bottom of the glass. When watching Blue Jasmine, you really can’t drink anything but a Stoli Martini with a Twist of Lemon.

Stoli Martini

Dry Vermouth

2 oz vodka, chilled

Lemon twist

Pour a small amount of vermouth into a martini glass and swirl it around, just so it coats the sides. Pour out excess. Add vodka into a shaker with ice, and gently stir until chilled (or shake it if you’re a James Bond fan). Pour vodka into prepared glass, and top with lemon twist.

The first time I saw Blue Jasmine, I knew it would be an instant classic. It’s a story that’s timeless, but yet so current. Jasmine is a woman who is unraveling, and it’s riveting to watch it happen. Whether she can be redeemed in the end, we’ll never know. I hope so. But for tonight, raise a glass to the great Cate Blanchett, and be glad that the Oscars only happen once a year (otherwise I might need to borrow a Xanax from Jasmine to manage my excitement). Cheers!

Dramas

Magnolia

February 25, 2014February 25, 2014 LizLockeLeave a comment

I’ll admit it- when I first saw Magnolia, I didn’t get it. Specifically the frogs. However, I think that’s what I really like the most about this film now- it leaves me questioning everything, including my own intelligence. I was tempted to watch this recently after the passing of the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman. Really, no retrospective of his work would be complete without seeing at least one Paul Thomas Anderson film. I am singling out Magnolia because it’s a great film to watch when you’re buried inside on a cold wintry day. Dark and stormy weather mixed with a dark and stormy film makes for a hell of a combination.

Magnolia (DVD/Download) tells the stories of several characters in the San Fernando Valley whose lives intersect over the course of a day. At 3 hours long, you may worry that the film drags by, but let me reassure you that every minute of those 3 hours is entirely necessary in order to give each character their due. The actors are all Paul Thomas Anderson regulars, with the notable exception of Tom Cruise sporting a weird samurai hairdo. This is the rare movie where I actually say afterward, “Wow, Tom Cruise can actually act!” He is surprising and amazing in Magnolia, as is the rest of the large cast. As their stories weave back and forth, you realize how interconnected we all are. The movie is about coincidences and fate, and the connections that we make with other people in our lives. The script is superb, and though I still don’t entirely know what the frog scene is about, it does become a sort of glue that binds the stories together.

My drink pairing for Magnolia is an obvious choice. Given the amount of weather references in the film, I have to pair it with a Dark & Stormy. This is a favorite drink of mine that combines simple ingredients into a refreshing cocktail. I like to imagine that Quiz Kid Donnie Smith finally grows up and goes back to that upholstered bar stool and orders up a tall cocktail like this.

Dark & Stormy

2 oz Dark Rum

3 oz Ginger Beer

Lime Wedge for garnish

Pour Rum and Ginger Beer into a tall Collins glass over ice. Garnish with lime wedge.

Of course, this cocktail is much more innocuous than the cadre of pills in Julianne Moore’s character’s purse, but it won’t leave you passed out in your car later on (hopefully). The big line in this film that gets said over and over again is “The book says we may be through with the past, but the past ain’t through with us.” I think that statement holds true for the simple act of watching this film, for even though I’ve seen it before and think I understand it, watching it now makes me consider it in a new light. So if you continue to be buried under winter weather, give this film a chance (along with a Dark & Stormy) and hunker down for a weird, intense, thought-provoking 3 hours. Cheers!

Musicals

Newsies

February 17, 2014 LizLockeLeave a comment

Image Credit Walt Diwney Pictures, 1992 — Image Credit Walt Disney Pictures, 1992

Page-boy caps. Attractive and well-choreographed boys singing and dancing on the streets of New York. Crutchy. That’s right, this week’s Cinema Sips headliner is…… Newsies (!!!!!!). I’ve been obsessed with this movie ever since it premiered on The Disney Channel in the early-90’s. I had no idea what a labor union was, but if it involved singing catchy tunes and Christian Bale as a hot teenager in a kicky scarf, by all means sign me up. This week, while coming down from my Valentine’s sugar buzz, I decided I needed a boost in the form of this totally entertaining movie musical.

Newsies (DVD/Download) was a pretty big flop when it premiered in theaters, but since then, it has gained the cult status it so richly deserves. Newsies tells the story of the newsboy’s strike of 1899, wherein the lowly newsboys battled the mighty Pulitzer and Hearst by organizing a union and striking for increased pay and better working conditions. Of course, this being Disney, there are some wonderful songs and brilliantly choreographed dance scenes interspersed among the drama, along with some truly terrible New York accents. Heavyweight actors Robert Duvall and Bill Pullman round out the cast, but it’s Christian Bale who really shines here. This film may be an embarrassing “what was I thinking?!” moment for him now that he’s SERIOUS ACTOR Christian Bale, but I don’t care. I’ll always love him most as Jack Kelly, the cowboy of Manhattan, sellin’ papes and breakin’ hearts.

I found inspiration for my drink this week in a wonderful book I was given, Tipsy Texan by David Alan. I wanted to do something inspired by my favorite song from the movie, Santa Fe. Unsure of how green chilies might translate into the beverage arena, I opted instead to try something using the Mexican liquor Mezcal . This is similar to tequila (in fact tequila is a type of mezcal) but it has a smokier flavor. I like to imagine that Jack Kelly would have eventually turned 18 and taken his dumpy girlfriend Sarah out west, picking up a bottle of this in a border town along the way. In a nod to the age group of most of the protagonists, I’m mixing the Mezcal with good old fashioned Coca-Cola, something I’m sure the Newsies drank their share of back then. When watching Newsies, I recommend drinking a Barro Negro.

Barro Negro (From Tipsy Texan: Spirits and Cocktails from the Lone Star State)

1 ½ oz Mezcal

2 dashes of Angostura bitters

2 orange wedges

3 oz Coca-Cola (Mexican Coke if you can find it).

Pour Mezcal and bitters over ice in a glass. Squeeze the juice from the orange wedges into the glass, then drop them in. Top with Coca-Cola.

As you watch Newsies and sip your drink, feel free to laugh at all the digs at Brooklyn, which wasn’t always the hipster-mecca it is now. Back in 1899, Brooklyn was apparently a scary place full of teenagers with sling shots. Also, I can’t stop laughing when Christian Bale does his interpretive dance midway through singing Santa Fe. I say interpretive because I think he’s interpreting riding a horse with jazz hands, but it’s difficult to tell. This movie is just a classic. A classic what, I’m not sure, but definitely a classic. So drink up, dream of Santa Fe, and remember- “Headlines don’t sell papes- Newsies sell papes.” Cheers!

Classic Films

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

February 12, 2014November 21, 2017 LizLocke2 Comments

“I’m just crazy about Tiffany’s.”

That’s the line- the one that makes me smile every time. I don’t know if it’s the way Audrey Hepburn says it in her breathy, untraceable accent, or if it’s the idea of a large boutique full of diamonds and precious gems bringing delightful happiness to all who enter, but something about it gets me grinning from ear to ear. As Valentine’s Day approaches, I can think of no better movie to watch on February 14^th with a cocktail. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (DVD/Download) isn’t just a charming story about love between two lost souls- it’s a classic film showcasing the style and grace of the great Audrey Hepburn.

Of course as many know, Truman Capote was not at all pleased with the producers’ choice in casting Ms. Hepburn to play his iconic literary creation Holly Golightly. And frankly, after reading the book, I don’t think I would have been thrilled either. The film version of Breakfast at Tiffany’s bears little resemblance to the novel, though both are wonderful works in their own right. Yes, the film whitewashes a lot of the more scandalous details of the book (most importantly Holly’s career as an escort) but still the overarching themes remain the same. I love the way Audrey Hepburn plays Holly as strong and funny one minute, then beautifully damaged the next minute. George Peppard is satisfactory as her love interest, in a Ken-doll sort of way, but I think of him more as window-dressing. Blake Edwards does a fabulous job directing, particularly in the party scene (we’ll see more of his genius on Cinema Sips when I talk about his other cocktail-fueled masterpiece The Party), and the shots of Hepburn and Peppard racing hand-in-hand through the streets of New York make me giddy with envy and happiness.

For my cocktail pairing, I wanted to come up with something that evoked the opening scene in front of Tiffany’s, and also the wonderful moment where Fred and Holly drink champagne before breakfast. I think this drink hits all the right notes in terms of complexity and style, just like Holly herself. When you’re watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s, I recommend drinking a variation on a mimosa that I call the Sunrise Sip.

¼ oz Peach Schnapps

½ oz Citrus Vodka

Juice of 1 Clementine

2 oz Champagne

Clementine twist for garnish

Pour peach schnapps, vodka, and the clementine juice into a champagne flute. Top with chilled champagne, and garnish with a clementine twist.

Whether you’re spending the holiday alone, with your friends, or with your significant other, this film will make you fall in love- with vintage Givenchy clothes and a cat named Cat. I swear, the sight of her pathetic feline friend soaking wet and meowing in a New York alley would melt the heart of even the fiercest dog-lover. I apologize in advance for the strange and offensive Mickey Rooney that I’m subjecting you to, but just take his Mr. Yunioshi with a grain of salt and skip ahead to more Audrey and more Fred-baby. And for heaven’s sake, don’t pull a Mag Wildwood and spend your evening face-down on the floor. Moderation, please. Cheers!

Dramas

The Great Gatsby

February 5, 2014July 7, 2022 LizLockeLeave a comment

Image Credit Warner Bros. Pictures, 2013

What else can we say about one of the greatest American novels ever to be written? A novel that’s been adapted several times onto the big screen, to varying degrees of success? Plenty, as it turns out. Think what you will about Baz Luhrmann’s most recent adaptation of The Great Gatsby (DVD/Download), but one thing it is not is boring. I’ll admit, at times I found it a bit slow (ahem- everything after the car accident), however the raucous party scenes more than make up for that. Plus, it is a truly perfect film for pairing with a cocktail. Back in the ’20’s, they knew how to pour a good drink.

I don’t need to bore anybody with a synopsis of The Great Gatsby, as I’m assuming we all read it in high school. And if you’ve never read it, order or download it right now!! Even if it’s a bit trite to say, this really is one of my favorite books. I think the reason directors have such a hard time turning it into a movie is because the language in the book is so beautiful. The plot is interesting, sure, but the language- that’s what keeps you reading. The sheer perfection of Fitzgerald’s prose is enough to make me give up writing altogether because I know I’ll never be as talented as he was. However, I can be as drunk as he reputedly was, and so can you if you follow my recipe below!

When watching this movie, which takes place during the roaring ’20s, I’m compelled to use a liquor which was like water back then- gin. I love the culture of the speakeasy and the raucous, never-ending parties of the wealthy, not to mention the clothes and bobbed hairstyles. But really, even the best-dressed character in this film looks naked without a cocktail glass in their hand. Because Baz Luhrmann’s film has more effervescence and pizazz than any other adaptations of this story, I’m serving up a Gin Fizz this week.

Prohibition Gin Fizz

2 oz gin

Dash of lime juice

½ tsp simple syrup

1 egg white

Soda Water

Lime twist for garnish

Pour the gin, lime juice, simple syrup, and egg white into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for 30-60 seconds (I promise, it’s worth it). Strain into a glass and top with soda water. Garnish with lime twist.

I like to drink this and imagine I’m at Gatsby’s mansion, wearing any number of the beautiful creations Carey Mulligan gets to model as Daisy Buchanan. I could probably take a pass on the strange hip-hop/jazz mash-ups that populate this movie in favor of classic jazz, but I’d enjoy every minute of being fought over by Leonardo DiCaprio and Joel Edgerton (can I just say WOW about his performance as Tom Buchanan??). Even if you’ve read the book many times like I have, and have seen all the movies, it’s still pretty fun to watch this version, especially with a tasty cocktail. Is it a perfect movie? No. Is it fun? Absolutely. Jay Gatsby wouldn’t have had it any other way. Cheers!

Comedies

Groundhog Day

February 1, 2014February 1, 2014 LizLockeLeave a comment

To all you woodchuck-chuckers out there, I know I may be a little early with my Groundhog Day celebration, but I’m so excited I just couldn’t wait!! Sunday marks one of my favorite holidays of the year, the day we look to a large squirrel predicting the weather. But Groundhog Day has become so much more, thanks in large part to the 1993 dark comedy classic starring Bill Murray. Full disclaimer, I happen to have grown up very close to Punxsutawney, PA, so that could be a reason this movie has endeared itself to me so strongly over the years. The polka music, the puddles of frigid murky water on street corners, the blizzards that move off to the east and hit Altoona- ah, childhood.

In Groundhog Day (DVD/Download), Bill Murray plays a weatherman Phil Conners who is sent to tiny little Punxsutawney with his producer and cameraman (played by Andie MacDowell and Chris Elliott, respectively) to cover Groundhog Day. He’s the cynical prima donna who rails against small-town life and finds annoyance in the quaintest of celebrations. While there, a strange phenomenon overtakes Phil, and he begins waking up every day in the same bed in Punxsutawney, on Groundhog Day. No matter what he does, he finds that his actions have no consequences, and the reset button keeps getting pushed on his life. In order to move on, he has to become a better man. What this has to do with the annual Groundhog prediction I’m not totally sure, but it does provide a fantastic backdrop. Of course, the comedy turns pretty dark as he begins to cycle through various ways to kill himself rather than endure one more day in Punxsutawney (understandably so), but there are also rare gems of comedic brilliance as he goes on a wild drunken bender through town, eats an entire restaurant menu while smoking a cigarette because there are no health consequences anymore, and executes a flawless bank heist. Murray is absolutely perfect as he transitions from cynical to desperate to charming, and even Andie MacDowell manages to turn in a performance that isn’t terrible.

Every year on Groundhog Day, my husband and I have started a tradition where we eat and drink like there’s no tomorrow, and live that day like we wish we could live every day for the rest of the year. The point being, if we were to suddenly wake up on February 3^rd and it was still February 2^nd, we’d like to plan a day that we could enjoy over and over again. With that idea of no consequences and no tomorrow in mind, my cocktail is a doozy this week. No, it’s not Sweet Vermouth on the rocks with a twist (I have one thing to say about that- Bleh). Instead, I’m serving up something a little more wild- a Don’t Forget Your Booties Shake. BING!

Don’t Forget Your Booties Shake

1.5 oz Godiva Chocolate Liqueur

1.5 oz Patrón XO

1 oz Brandy

2 Scoops Ice Cream (I used a French Silk flavor, but anything chocolate related is fine)

Milk to taste

Whipped cream (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a blender with ice. Blend until liquefied, and then pour into a glass. Top with a dollop of whipped cream.

This really is the most calorically stupid mixed drink I could think of. Also, watch out for that first sip- it’s a doozy. Enjoy it today, because I like to think that on Groundhog Day, the possibility of no tomorrow and therefore no hangovers is exponentially higher. I know the original point of this holiday was for the groundhog to predict an early spring or six more weeks of winter, but as any Western Pennsylvanian can tell you, that whole thing is a joke. There are ALWAYS six more weeks of winter, even if Punxsutawney Phil doesn’t see his shadow. As Phil the weatherman says, “it’s gonna be cold, it’s gonna be grey, and it’s gonna last you for the rest of your life.” So drink up, laugh at Needlenose Ned the Head, shove an entire piece of angel food cake in your mouth, and make February 2nd the best day of your life (because you may see it again tomorrow). Cheers!

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