Tag: Coffee cocktails

Comedies

9 to 5

LizLockeLeave a comment
Image: 9 to 5, 1980

As I continue to grieve beloved star Dolly Parton, it warms my heart to know that so many of us will be celebrating her on September 25th, in honor of her debut film 9 to 5 (Disc/Download). If you’re planning to toast her with a screening and a cold cocktail, Cinema Sips has you covered.

Starring Dolly, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin as a trio of disgruntled secretaries in a large corporate office, 9 to 5 shouldn’t still be progressive, and yet, it is. Their sexist, predatory boss is a type of man who probably still exists in offices all over the country (certainly, within the White House). Women are still fighting for common sense policies like flexible work hours, job-sharing, in-office childcare, and equal pay, and don’t even get me started on the battle for hybrid and remote work. Sometimes it seems like the whole system is orchestrated to return women to the home and kitchen, but in this movie, they fight back. 9 to 5 dabbles in fantasy with its fairy tale dream sequence and Dolly in her cute cowgirl outfit, and to be honest, the plot goes off the rails after the first thirty minutes. However, sometimes you need a bit of fantasy in order to communicate some very real problems in the workplace. If you think Dolly roping and barbecuing her boss is the most ludicrous thing you’ve ever seen, you obviously haven’t used Microsoft Teams.

My favorite thing about this movie is Dolly’s iconic theme song, “9 to 5”. It still bops! While you’re watching these ladies slip rat poison into the boss’s coffee, pour yourself a Cup of Ambition.

Cup of Ambition

1 oz coffee liqueur

1 oz rye whiskey

2 dashes orange bitters

Dried orange garnish

Add coffee liqueur, rye, and bitters to a shaker with ice. Stir to chill, then strain into a rocks glass with one large ice cube. Garnish with a dried orange.

No shade to Jane and Lily, but Dolly is absolutely the best thing in this movie. She makes every scene funnier, and she brings her trademark wit and charm to what could have been another ditsy blonde stereotype. Through her performances, songs, and charitable legacy, this beautiful butterfly will live on, from 9 to 5, and beyond. Cheers!

Dramas

Inception

LizLockeLeave a comment
Image credit: Inception, 2010

Let’s not pretend any of us truly understand this week’s pick, Inception (Disc/Download). Sure, we may have a vague idea of the general plot, but director Christopher Nolan, ultimate master of cinema magic tricks, has crafted a film so full of misdirection and ambiguity that it’s impossible to know what’s real and what’s an illusion. So let’s just pour a drink and follow along as best we can.

As far as I can tell, this film is about dreams and the people who infiltrate them. The goal is to plant an idea that will then take root and manifest as change in the real world, without the sleeping victim being any the wiser. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a dream manipulator who is hired by a rich tycoon to go inside his rival’s mind and lead him toward dissolving his business. Aided by a team of Nolan regulars (including Tom Hardy in a role where he actually has a chance to show off that pretty face!!!), Leo inserts himself into Cillian Murphy’s dream, then deeper to another layer, and deeper again, until he’s able to get to the root of what drives this man’s subconscious. So basically, it’s a dream, within a dream, within a dream, until the end when you realize the whole freakin’ movie might be a dream?! Am I in a dream right now?? Christopher Nolan has effectively made me question the very foundation of human existence.

In thinking about Inception as a cocktail, I realized that infusing alcohol can achieve a similar effect. You start with a base spirit, allow a spice or flavor to soak into it, leaving it forever changed. And with this cocktail, I’ve achieved double inception, going even deeper into that flavor profile. While watching Inception, I recommend drinking a Kick cocktail.

Kick

1 1/2 oz Cardamom/Coffee-infused Vodka*

3/4 oz Kahlua Liqueur

1/4 oz Maple Syrup

3 drops Rosewater

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled, then strain into a chilled coupe.

*To make Cardamom/Coffee Vodka, put six-seven Cardamom pods in a cup of vodka. Allow to infuse overnight. The next day, remove pods, then pour in two tablespoons of ground coffee. Allow to infuse overnight, then strain out solids through coffee filter.

One line from this movie stands out to me, particularly after a recent watch. DiCaprio says, “An idea is like a virus. Resilient. Highly contagious. The smallest seed of an idea can grow. It can grow to define or destroy you.” As I look around, at a vocal part of our society clutching so tightly to dangerous ideas at the expense of everyone around them and a rapidly evolving virus, this quote feels more timely than ever. What’s more insidious: COVID-19, or the denial of COVID-19? The temptation is understandable; the yearning to “wake up” and proclaim that all of 2020 and 2021 was just a bizarre subconscious state. An inception that forced us to appreciate the small things in life, like sitting in a diner booth, or meeting a friend for coffee, or flying to visit a parent. We’ll open our eyes, and the nightmare will be over, instead of just beginning again. But life isn’t the movies; and reality is different than our dreams. We’re already awake.