How to Make the Perfect Cocktails in Quarantine According to These Three Celebrities
Learn how to shake up a cocktail worthy of Meryl Streep, Ina Garten and Stanley Tucci.
Right now, we're navigating the weird — and often glitchy — world of digital drinks. Instead of clocking off, going down to our local and ordering a pint with some colleagues, we're on Zoom calls and dancing at online nightclubs. But what to drink? By now, we're sure your kitchen either looks like a full-blown saloon or you've at least got some supplies stashed away. So, instead of reaching for the wine, why not take things up a notch with a cocktail? And not just any cocktail, but one worthy of a celebrity.
Thankfully, the world has recently been blessed with a fair bit of celeb cocktail content of late — from cosmopolitan queen Ina Garten to suave Stanley Tucci and the ever-classy Meryl Streep. And, unlike Paris Hilton and her lasagne, you can trust these three celebs in the kitchen. So, if you're wondering what concoction to make this afternoon, look no further.
INA GARTEN'S GIANT COSMOPOLITAN (SUITABLE AT ALMOST ANY HOUR)
Serves one Ina Garten or a household
Keeping cocktail hour alive — even though "nobody's stopping by" — is Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa). And while her catchcry "it's always cocktail hour in a crisis" may not be advisable, it's pretty relatable. Plus, this is coming from a culinary icon. Her drink of choice during iso is the sophisticated cosmo, naturally. If you want to take a page out of the cocktail queen's cookbook, you'll need top-shelf vodka, Cointreau (or any orange liqueur), cranberry juice, limes and ice, plus a jug, novelty-sized cocktail shaker (with strainer) and an extra-large martini glass.
Ingredients
2 cups vodka
1 cup Cointreau
1 cup cranberry juice
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime
Ice
Method
Pour vodka, cointreau, cranberry juice and lime into jug. Stir.
Half fill shaker with ice and add in the cocktail mix. Depending on the size of your shaker, you may have to do this in batches.
Shake for 30 seconds.
Pour into martini glass(es).
In the wise words of Garten: "During a crisis, you know, cocktail hour can be almost any hour." So, bottoms up.
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STANLEY TUCCI'S UNLAWFUL — BUT INTRIGUING — NEGRONI UP
Serves one
If you can look past the incredibly sculpted biceps, you'll see The Devil Wears Prada actor shaking a negroni. Yes, shaking. While most like their negronis as they should be — on the rocks, with equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and Campari — Tucci's twist is intriguing. But again, it could be the arms. For what Tucci calls a Negroni Up, you'll need gin, sweet vermouth (good sweet vermouth, not that Martini brand he has such disdain for), Campari, an orange, and ice, plus a cocktail shaker (with strainer) and a glass, preferably a coupe. Now, throw whatever negroni-making knowledge you have aside.
Ingredients
2 shots gin
1 shot sweet vermouth
1 shot Campari
1 orange slice
Ice
Method
Half fill shaker with ice and add gin, sweet vermouth and Campari.
Shake it up, as Tucci does so well.
Pour into a coupe, martini glass, or whatever you want.
Garnish with an orange slice.
Really, a negroni is a simple drink, relying on balance and good liquor. Although Tucci's breaks all the rules, his confidence has us convinced.
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MERYL STREEP'S MARTINI (WITH A SIDE OF SHOW TUNES AND SCOTCH)
Serves one
Even Meryl Streep is getting around the quarantini — shaken, not stirred. But she doesn't just make a stiff drink and tell you how to do it, no. The award-winning actor takes her cocktail making to the next level — of course she does — leaving a little guesswork to the recipe. So, you can get creative with this one. As part of Stephen Sondheim's birthday celebrations, which saw celebrities the world over celebrate with a virtual concert, Streep shakes up a martini while singing Sondheim's show tune 'The Ladies Who Lunch'. She's joined by a red wine-drinking Christine Baranski and a bourbon-swigging Audra McDonald and if you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favour and watch it here, immediately. For Meryl's martini, you'll need gin, vermouth, lemon, ice, plus a cocktail shaker (with strainer) and martini glass. And a chic robe to wear while shaking and singing.
Ingredients
50 millilitres gin
10 millilitres dry vermouth
lemon twist
Ice
Method
Half fill shaker with ice and add gin and dry vermouth.
Shake for about 30 seconds — or the duration of singing: 'Here's to the girls that stay smart / Aren't they a gas?/ Rushing to their classes / In optical art / Wishing it would pass'.
Pour into a martini glass theatrically and garnish with lemon twist while belting out 'I'll drink to that'.
Once you've sung a bit more and polished off that martini, take a large sip of scotch straight from the bottle — be sure to do it with equal parts class and sass. Then, pour yourself another martini.
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