Emotional Education
"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion’s starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don’t see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it’s not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it’s always there – fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge – they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that love actually is all around." If you needed a touching, more heartfelt way for a movie to begin, I don't think think you could do much better than 2003's Love Actually.
Good evening, my most thirsty readers. I know I've been drilling away with the Christmas movies, songs, and other holiday references, but you might as well get comfortable, because I'm not stopping anytime soon. With a pop culture reference here, and a tacky tradition there, we are going full steam ahead all the way to the 25th!
No matter what time of year it is, I can always watch Love Actually. I'm not sure if it's the quality of the film itself, or maybe it's the combination of so many different stories in one, which really works for my ADHD brain. We have an over the hill rockstar, a young Prime Minister, aspiring writer, office politics, body doubles in adult films, marriages on the rocks, and we ever receive the English version of a wannabe womanizing douchebag. All in all, that's a lot for anyone to follow, but somehow it just blends together just right. Each story would be terrible on it's own, but they seem to find a way to compliment one another.
In their own weird ways, each dysfunctional character in this film seems to pull at our heart strings. Some of them we love to hate, while others are the types we just hate to love. Take High Grant's character for instance. He's this socially-awkward chap, who's just become the Prime Minister of Great Britain, and you can't help but find his bumbling ways charming. Alan Rickman on the other hand, is that character you just enjoy hating on. The scene where he buys jewelry for the woman at the office, was the inspiration for this drink afterall. In that scene, Rowan Atkinson, better known for his work as Mr. Bean, causes Rickman's character to have a full-on meltdown, while "gift-wrapping" the present. When Christmas morning rolls around, his wife opens her gift, a Joni Mitchel CD, instead of the necklace she knew he'd bought. He just looks at her and says "For your emotioinal education." What a jerk!
If there's one story line which brings more joy to my heart than any of the others, it would have to be the one with Liam Neeson as the enthusiastic stepfather. His wife has recently died, and he goes above and beyond to be the best stepfather he possibly can. The way the two characters interact warms your heart, and it makes you feel like anything is possible. Like they say in the movie, "Let's get the shit kicked out of us by love!"
Emotional Education
1oz London Dry Gin
.5oz Blanc Agricole Rhum
.75oz Cranberry Shrub
.75oz Rosemary Honey Syrup
.75oz Lemon Juice
2 drops Orange Blossom Water
2 dashes Peychaud's Bitters
1 dash Angostura Bitters
(1.5oz Sparkling Wine)
Cocktail Coupe
Shake and strain all ingredients (expect sparkling wine)
Top with Sparkling
Garnish with Rosemary-cranberry skewer and nutmeg.
Rosemary Honey Syrup
5 Sprigs of Rosemary
2 Cups Honey
1 Cup Water
Bring to a boil, and remove from heat.
Allow to steep 15-20 minutes, then strain.
"I feel it in my fingers. I feel it in my toes. Christmas is all around me, and so the feeling grows." Yeah, the song might be awful, but it always brings a smile to my face. It tells me I'm watching that ridiculous movie again, and I know I'm going to enjoy it, no matter what time of year it may be. Maybe tomorrow I'll write about another movie, and I'll find some way to make a drink about it yet again. I mean, we are living in a pandemic world, and I am a pandemic girl afterall. Cheers to you, one and all. While we're getting the shit kicked out of us by love lets not forget to keep shaking.