Image credit: Call Me By Your Name, 2017.
I’ve already featured this week’s film Call Me by Your Name (Disc/Download) on my Top Five list for 2017, but now it’s time for an official cocktail pairing. And let’s face it- I’ll use any excuse to sink into the eyes of Timothée Chalamet for a couple hours. Join me in remembering what it was like to be young, in love, and very very passionate about fruit.
Based on the gut-wrenchingly beautiful novel by André Aciman, Call Me by Your Name is set in a small Italian village in 1983. Archaeology grad student Oliver (Armie Hammer) travels to a professor’s villa in Italy to help with research for the summer. There he meets the professor’s teenage son Elio, and the two share flirtatious glances across the breakfast table. Tension builds and builds, until at long last they become lovers. Everything about this movie is beautiful, from the romantic script by James Ivory, to the lush scenery of Italy, to the haunting Sufjan Stevens soundtrack, and it feels like a vacation that’s just too perfect to last. Kind of like the love story of Elio and Oliver.
I’ll admit, the peach scene in this film left me pretty aghast and/or awestruck, but it also inspired me to make a tasty summertime cocktail. While watching Call Me by Your Name, I recommend drinking a Peach Collins.
Peach Collins
1 ½ oz Deep Eddy Peach Vodka
1 oz lemon juice
½ oz simple syrup
Splash of club soda
Peach slice for garnish
Combine vodka, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake until combined and chilled, then strain into a glass filled with ice. Top with club soda, and stir gently to combine. Garnish with a peach slice.
There’s been talk of a sequel to this film, which excites me to no end. Having read the book, I can say there’s definitely more to Elio and Oliver’s story that’s deserving of screen time. In the meantime, we can sit in front of the fireplace and sob, wishing things could be different. Wishing more movies like this got made- movies that show us love, and all its many forms, in beautiful, sun-dappled light. Cheers!
Cinema Sips 