No matter one's stance on the endless controversies that have preceded the 91st Academy Awards, the grand finale of award season always provides event planners with opportunities to deliver eye-catching catering ideas. This year, caterers, mixologists, and brands across the U.S. have crafted unique cocktails inspired by Hollywood's biggest night, as well as nominated films such as The Favourite, Black Panther, A Star Is Born, and Bohemian Rhapsody. Here's a look at some of the most creative drinks that can provide inspiration for Oscars-theme events and viewing parties for the ceremony on Sunday.
Ever Bar’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” Cocktail
Ever Bar at the Kimpton Everly Hotel in Los Angeles is serving an Academy Awards-theme menu, which includes cocktails inspired by best picture nominees. For Bohemian Rhapsody, the venue’s team used Black Cow vodka, kummel, lime juice, orgeat syrup, and butterfly pea flower. The drink is garnished with a fake mustache and aviator sunglasses.
Photo: Courtesy of Ever Bar
Cocktail Academy’s “Vibranium”
Cocktail Academy, a cocktail catering and experience company based in Los Angeles and New York, created drinks inspired by this year’s best picture nominees. A purple drink drawing inspiration from Black Panther is made with cognac, hibiscus-infused absinthe, fresh lime juice, sorrel-cherimoya syrup, and butterfly-pea-flower extract. The glass is rimmed with black lava salt, and red sorrel is used as a garnish.
Photo: Courtesy of Cocktail Academy
Cocktail Academy’s “Fit For A Queen”
For fans of The Favourite, a dark comedy period piece about Queen Anne and two cousins competing for courtship, this fizzy cocktail includes gin, strawberry-infused blanc vermouth, fresh lemon juice, earl grey syrup, and champagne. A strawberry slice is used for garnish.
Photo: Courtesy of Cocktail Academy
Cocktail Academy’s “Greener Pastures”
Inspired by the biographical comedy-drama Green Book, which is set in the 1960s American South, this cocktail features gin, green chartreuse, fresh lime juice, and peach schnapps. A sliced Georgia peach is used as a garnish.
Photo: Courtesy of Cocktail Academy
Cocktail Academy’s “Let The Waves Wash Over”
Roma, Alfonso Cuaron’s semi-autobiographical, Mexico City-set drama about the life of a housekeeper of a middle-class family in the 1970s, serves as inspiration for this cocktail, which features Don Julio tequila, Cherry Heering liqueur, Islay scotch, mole bitters, and a grapefruit floret garnish. The drink was shot in black and white as a nod to the Netflix film.
Photo: Courtesy of Cocktail Academy
Ever Bar’s “Green Book” Cocktail
A tribute to American composer Don Shirley, portrayed by Mahershala Ali in Green Book, this drink features Cutty Sark scotch, Chopin Vodka, lemon juice and lime juice, thyme, and egg whites. The cocktail is served with a side of fried chicken and a green book.
Photo: Courtesy of Ever Bar
Ever Bar’s “Blackkklansman” Cocktail
Inspired by Spike Lee’s biographical crime comedy-drama, this drink is made with Kettle One vodka, Kalani coconut liqueur, kumquat jam, and lemon juice, served with a cocoa crispy “afro” in a Colorado Springs police mug.
Photo: Courtesy of Ever Bar
Tim Prendergrast’s “A Star Is Born” Cocktail
Bartender Tim Prendergrast created a drink inspired by Bradley Cooper’s remake of the musical drama A Star Is Born, which stars Cooper as fictional rock star Jackson Maine and Lady Gaga as Ally, the musician he discovers. Served at Tre Rivali and the Outsider in Milwaukee, the drink features Evan Williams bourbon, pineapple-infused Campari, Amaro Montenegro, and lemon juice. The cocktail is garnished with a spritz of edible gold spray.
Photo: Courtesy of the Outsider
Bacchus Bar’s “We Are The Champions”
Named after the Queen song, this drink features earl grey-infused vodka, Strega liqueur, simple syrup, egg white, and butterfly pea flower tea. Angostura bitters are sprayed over a Freddie Mercury stencil to create a silhouette. The drink was created by bartender Cody Blaylock of Bacchus Bar, located at Kimpton Hotel Vintage Portland in Oregon.
Photo: Courtesy of Bacchus Bar
Bacchus Bar’s “And The Award Goes To…”
Another drink at Bacchus Bar is inspired by Oscars night, with Pierre Ferrand 1840, Amaro Nonino, St. Germain, Regan’s orange bitters, Angostura bitters, and sparkling wine. The champagne glass is garnished with expressed lemon and a paint flute with a streak of gold dust.
Photo: Courtesy of Bacchus Bar
Loews Hotels’ “All American Apple Pie”
Loews Hollywood and Loews Santa Monica Beach hotels have created a menu of original cocktails inspired by this year’s best picture nominees. This drink, inspired by the Dick Cheney biopic Vice, includes Absolut Orient Apple, cinnamon, Frangelico, half and half, agave, whipped cream, and cinnamon sprinkles as a garnish.
Photo: Courtesy of Loews
Loews’ Hotels’ “The Heart-Shaped Herb”
This cocktail, named after the plant that grows in Black Panther’s fictional nation of Wakanda, is made with prosecco, Cointreau, lemon juice, edible hibiscus flower, and blackberries.
Photo: Courtesy of Loews
Loews’ Hotels’ “La Vie En Rose”
Inspired by Gaga’s rendition of the Edith Piaf song in A Star Is Born, the red drink includes Bacardi Razz, five mint leaves, lime, house-spun cotton candy, and strawberry.
Photo: Courtesy of Loews
Loews Hotels’ “The Queen’s Chalice”
The Favourite-theme cocktail features Pimm’s, Bombay Dry gin, agave, lemon juice, orange juice, muddled blueberries. The drink is topped with ginger ale and a mint cucumber garnish.
Photo: Courtesy of Loews
Loews Hotels’ “Cleo’s Cup”
A nod to the main character of Roma, this simple drink includes 123 tequila blanco, lime juice, agave, and Lunetta prosecco.
Photo: Courtesy of Loews
Hudson Whiskey’s Starlet Blush
Created by Hudson Whiskey ambassador David Powell, this cocktail was inspired by Hollywood starlets. The drink includes Hudson Baby Bourbon, Aperol aperitif, fresh lemon juice, honey syrup, and a half-dropper of Bittermens Elemakule Tiki Bitters. The drink can be strained over ice and topped with soda and a lemon wedge garnish, or strained over the rocks and garnished with a lemon wedge and cherry.
Photo: Courtesy of Hudson Whiskey
The Red Carpet by Daniel N.Y.C.
Daniel, Daniel Boulud’s New York restaurant, serves a cocktail in celebration of the Oscars, with Reyka vodka, grapefruit juice, orange juice, simple syrup, pear jam, peeled or grated ginger, one egg white, and a dash of angostura bitters. The drink is served in a martini glass and can be garnished with edible gold.
Photo: Courtesy of Daniel
The Glenfiddich Award-Winning Apple
Glenfiddich ambassador Allan Roth’s cocktail features Glenfiddich 12 Year Old scotch whiskey, club soda, non-alcoholic apple cider, lemon juice, Drambuie, and angostura bitters, with a lemon peel garnish.
Photo: Courtesy of Glenfiddich
The Orbium On-Screen Romance
Hendrick’s Gin ambassador Sebastien Derbomez created an ode to movie romances with Hendrick’s Orbium gin, cassis liqueur, and basil syrup. The drink is topped with dry champagne and a nepitella mint with bloom garnish.
Photo: Courtesy of Hendrick's Gin
Casa Noble’s Paloma Panther
Casa Noble’s Black Panther-inspired cocktail features the brand’s Casa Noble Crystal tequila, lime juice, grapefruit juice, agave nectar, sparkling water, and a grapefruit wedge garnish.
Photo: Courtesy of Casa Noble
