Tag: Espresso Martini

Dramas

Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore

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Image: Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, 1974

Don’t you just love a diner? The smell of pancakes, maple syrup, and coffee. The sound of a waitress asking whether you want toast or a biscuit (biscuit; always a biscuit). And most of all, a cross section of humanity, the whole place filled with hangovers and hard workers. Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (Disc/Download) is a bit like the diner it depicts: quiet some times, abrasively loud at others. Let’s pour a drink and park ourselves in a comfy booth.

Martin Scorsese made this film in between Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, and although it has the realism, incredible performances, and artistic flair of those two films, Alice Doesn’t Live Here is an odd choice for a guy who would make his name in the gritty neighborhoods of New York City. This romantic drama (I use the term “romantic” loosely) follows newly widowed Alice (Ellen Burstyn) on the road to Monterey, CA with her son Tommy. Along the way, she finds a bad romance with Harvey Keitel, a good romance with Kris Kristofferson, and a job as a waitress in Tucson. It’s a far cry from her dream of being a lounge singer, but at least it’s work. Tommy starts hanging out with the local troublemaker (Jodie Foster, who I’m convinced came out of the womb sounding like a jaded middle-aged woman), and pretty soon, Monterey starts to seem like a silly childhood fantasy. They’ve already started building a better life without even realizing it.

Regarding diner food and brunch beverages, I’ve always wondered why I rarely see an espresso martini made with maple syrup. Coffee and pancakes go together pretty well, right? I tried it for myself this week, and I’m very pleased with the results. Now I just need the pancakes. While watching Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, I recommend drinking this Maple Espresso Martini.

Maple Espresso Martini

2 oz Vodka

1 oz Chilled Espresso

1/2 oz Coffee Liqueur (I used Mr. Black)

1/2 oz Maple Syrup

2 dashes Black Walnut Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake for about thirty seconds, then strain into a coupe or martini glass.

The thing I love most about this movie is how it depicts the changing ideas of what it meant to be a woman in the 1970s. Alice is a complex character who’s forced to adapt into a society that still demeans women, yet now expects the world from them. She’s both cautionary tale and inspiration, and definitely someone I’d love to take a road trip with. Cue the Elton John. Cheers!

Foreign

Wings of Desire

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Image credit: Wings of Desire, 1987

As I’ve mentioned on here a few times already, romance that straddles the line between heaven and earth is one of my favorite film genres. From Heaven Can Wait, to A Matter of Life and Death, to Chances Are, I simply cannot get enough of these fantasy flicks. As reality becomes increasingly less appealing, it seems like the perfect time to watch the Wim Wenders 1987 German classic Wings of Desire (Disc/Download).

Sharing A Matter of Life and Death‘s visual construct of black & white for the heavenly creatures and vivid color for the human world, Wings of Desire takes us from the rooftops to the back alleys of West Berlin, a few years before reunification. In many ways, the romance between an angel and a lonely trapeze artist gets lost among the powerful commentary of a fractured society. At this point in history, Germans have seen their cities and communities crumble to ruins, and people on the whole are pretty depressed. We get a birds eye view (or, an angel’s eye view) of their psyche as the heavenly beings in trench coats listen to their thoughts, and let me tell you, those thoughts are pretty dark. Only love can make the human world bearable, which is a lesson I’m carrying with me on a daily basis.

When the angel Damiel takes the ultimate plunge and becomes human to be with the woman he loves, he’s shocked to discover the flavors he’s been missing all these years. A simple cup of coffee nearly brings tears to his eyes. I know the feeling because this espresso martini is so good, I nearly wept at first sip. While watching Wings of Desire, I recommend drinking a Salted Amaro Espresso Martini.

Salted Amaro Espresso Martini

1 1/2 oz Kahlúa Coffee Liqueur

1 oz Vodka

1/2 oz Amaro Nonino

1/4 oz Cointreau

1 oz Espresso

1 pinch kosher salt

Dried orange slice or orange twist

In a shaker with ice, combine Kahlúa, vodka, Amaro, Cointreau, freshly brewed espresso, and a pinch of salt. Shake until chilled, then strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a dried orange slice or orange twist.

If you like espresso martinis, this is a fantastic variation on the classic with a bit more depth of flavor. Next week, I’ll be back to discuss the American remake City of Angels, but in the meantime, enjoy this meditation on the things that make life worth living. If Nick Cave, libraries, and coffee beverages do it for you, then Wings of Desire might just be one of those things. Cheers!

Action/Adventure/Heist · Classic Films

Mogambo

LizLocke1 Comment
Image credit: Mogambo, 1953

If you love The Jungle Cruise ride at Disneyland but were disappointed by Disney’s 2021 film adaptation, then put on a classic that gives you all the thrills and animal encounters of a trip through Adventureland. John Ford’s Mogambo (Disc/Download) may be short on puns, but it’s long on danger and melodrama.

Starring Clark Gable as a big game hunter, and Ava Gardner as the cheeky New York socialite who upends his camp and his heart, Mogambo is a stunning Technicolor production shot on location in Africa. It’s wild to me that Ford would subject stars like Gable and Gardner and Grace Kelly to such an intense environment, but the authenticity of the continent shines through. During the course of a safari, Gable finds himself at the center of a love triangle with Gardner and Kelly, who plays the wife of a British anthropologist. Clark may be quite a bit older than both actresses, but he’s still got that twinkle in his eye that makes women of any age susceptible to his charms. Ava Gardner is a breath of fresh air in this movie, and it’s through her eyes that we see the wonder of this amazing place and all its creatures. She acts as the comic relief, to the point where I almost expect her to make a “ginger snaps” joke at the sight of a crocodile. Unfortunately, it’s just me making the lame dad jokes, from my couch.

Speaking of Gardner, I recently had the pleasure of trying the Ava Gardner Goddess Blend coffee from Breakfast at Dominique’s, and I loved it so much that I decided to use it in a cocktail! Strong and complex, this drink is Ava in a nutshell. While watching Mogambo, I recommend drinking an Espresso Martini.

Espresso Martini

2 oz Vodka

1 oz freshly brewed Espresso, cooled

½ oz Kahlua coffee liqueur

½ oz simple syrup

2-3 dashes Fee Foam (optional)

Coffee beans (garnish)

Combine all ingredients except the beans in a shaker with ice, shaking vigorously for a full minute. Strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with coffee beans.

*Note, I tried making this with cold brew, but I couldn’t achieve that signature foam on top. To get it frothy, I instead made it with a freshly brewed shot of espresso and added a few dashes of Fee Foam.

The quality of the coffee you use in this martini has a big impact on the final flavor. One sip of the Ava Gardner Goddess Blend, and I immediately realized I’d never had great coffee until that moment. Now, I’m drinking it every chance I get! Honestly, the caffeine is probably a good thing out on the safari. You never know when you’ll run into a panther, or a trigger-happy Grace Kelly. Cheers!