Hollywood & Vermont: A Match Made in Heaven

BY ROBERT COOK

The Red Carpet

Cocktail

Savor the Red Carpet

As we watch stars make their grand entrance on the Red Carpet, the best way to appreciate this moment is with ...

< The Red Carpet

Cocktail

1 ounce No. 3 London

Dry Gin

1 ounce Tempus Fugit

Alessio Vermouth

Di Torino

1 ounce Luxardo Bitter

Combine all ingredients in a shaker and serve in a coupe glass.

Hollywood has always had a love affair with a gorgeous leading lady known as Vermont. Dozens of major motion pictures have been set in the Green Mountain State since the medium first came into being at the turn of the 20th century. A handful have actually been shot here on location.

On March 12, when the 95th Academy Awards are held at the Dolby Theatre in L.A., Hollywood’s brightest stars take to the Red Carpet with their beautifully designed evening dresses and attire. Here are some Vermont films and accompanying silver screen cocktails to celebrate our own place in Hollywood history.

“Ethan Frome” – 1993

Starring Liam Neeson, the film tells the story of Ethan Frome, a physically and emotionally challenged man living on a rural farm in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. Filmed in Peacham, Vt., the movie reveals the circumstances that made him this way. It’s an adaptation of a 1911 book written by Edith Wharton. Like the original novel, the film is a tragic depiction of the clash between love and duty. Ethan is trapped in a loveless marriage. When his wife’s cousin moves in to take care of her, Ethan and Maddie fall in love. Sadly, they are star-crossed lovers, never free to enjoy a life together.

Raise your glass to poor Ethan and Maddie with ...

The Rosella >

1½ ounces Tequila Don Julio Blanco

½ ounce white vermouth

¾ ounce fresh lemon juice

½ ounce simple syrup

5 drops Scrappy’s Lavender Bitters

1½ ounces Fever Tree Ginger Beer

Hibiscus Flower Orange Oil

Combine tequila, white vermouth, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and bitters into a shaker with ice. Shake gently. Strain into a flute glass over a hibiscus flower. Top with Fever Tree Ginger Beer and mist with orange oil.

“The Spitfire Grill” – 1995

Also filmed in Peacham and Troy, "The Spitfire Grill" stars Allison Elliot as a woman recently released from prison and trying to find her place in the world. This was Elliot’s first feature role (just one year before her work on "The Wings of the Dove," which would get her a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award).

Newly released from prison, Percy (Elliot) finds herself with no place to go. The road takes her to a small town, where the café known as The Spitfire Grill is looking for a new waitress.

While the townsfolk are initially suspicious of Percy’s past, the café owner, Hanna (Ellen Burstyn) helps Percy find her place in the town and in life.

Let's toast to the healing power of love.

< The St. Germain Prosecco

½ part Santa Margherita Prosecco

½ part St. Germain

2-3 drops angostura bitters lemon slices for garnish

“What Lies Beneath” – 2000

This supernatural film was shot in Addison at a lake house in the Daughters of the American Revolution State Park. The story follows a strained marriage between Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer, whose lives turn into chaos as a "ghost" starts haunting their house.

Claire (Pfeiffer) begins seeing this ghost by Lake Champlain. While her husband, Norman (Ford), a scientist, dismisses the notion, Claire slowly discovers it is all part of a dark secret he has been hiding.

The combination of a good mystery with a dash of the supernatural makes this cocktail a great choice.

“Funny Farm” – 1988

The Tale of Two Powers >

2 ounces Courvoisier

Pour St. Germain into wine glasses, add drops of angostura bitters. Top with Prosecco and garnish with a lemon slice.

1 ounce Canton

Ginger liqueur

1 dash angostura bitters

1 dash orange bitters

Stir all ingredients together and serve in a snifter with orange garnish.

"Funny Farm" stars Chevy Chase as a New York City writer who becomes a hilarious fish out of water as he assimilates to small-town life. All of it was filmed in Windsor and Townshend in the southeastern part of the Green Mountain State.

A silver screen drink that will complement the sheer delight and laughter of this comedy would be ...

“Vermont Is for Lovers” – 1992

"Vermont is for Lovers" is an indie documentary directed by John O’Brien and filmed in Tunbridge. It's the story of a couple from New York who want to get married in the quiet town of Tunbridge, Vermont. The film follows them as they arrive in town and chronicles their wedding. All the while, O’Brien shows many excerpts from interviews with residents who talk about their own marriages.

The film shows Vermonters and their way of life; most of them are easy-going and others are very colorful characters. It also shows the beautiful landscapes that typifies the state. By the end of the film, you’ll be convinced that Vermont truly is for lovers.

A true romance seasoned with beautiful scenery and Vermonters who tell all deserves a toast with ...

The Heart-Shaped Tonic

1½ ounces Lillet blanc

3 ounces Cassis Lambic

½ ounce Chambord

Stir all ingredients over ice and strain into a coupe or cordial glass.

Garnish with heart-shaped basil leaf.

A Final Homage to the Award Winners

Last but not least, this cocktail is the perfect drink to cap a wonderful night celebrating the best movies, actors, actresses, directors, et al of 2022.

Oscars Night

2 ounces Cognac

1 ounce orange liqueur

½ ounce lemon juice

½ ounce simple syrup

Mix all ingredients together in a cocktail shaker over ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a coupe glass.

< The Singapore Fling

1 ounce Cointreau

1 ounce Remy Martin VSOP cognac

¾ lemon juice

3 lychees

Muddle lychees in a shaker. Add remaining ingredients and fill with ice. Shake and strain over ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with a lychee on a pick.