Summer Cocktails inspired by Greta, Grace and Romy

There's nothing like a cocktail to kick back and relax at the end of the day. I love these movie star inspired cocktails...just in time for summer. 

Glamorous Greta Garbo's 1930 movie, Anna Christie, has one of her most famous lines. She sulks into a bar, plops down and says, "Gimme a whisky with ginger ale on the side and don't be stingy baby." You can see Greta in action here. 

Greta has a cocktail named after her (not with whisky). The crème de menthe in this Garbo cocktail gives it a cool refreshing taste that's just right for summer. 

The Garbo Cocktail:

• 1oz brandy
• 1 oz dry vermouth
• 1 oz orange juice
• 1/4 oz grenadine
• dash of white crème de menthe

Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Shake well. Strain into a chilled highball glass. 

The beautiful Grace Kelly has a cocktail named after her too. How very suiting that it has Champagne and roses in it. I love this scene from High Society of Frank Sinatra and Grace Kelly drinking Champagne.

Cocktail Grace:

• Rose petal jelly
• 1 teaspoon rose liqueur
• 1 glass of very cold Champagne

Spread some rose petal jelly on the inside of a frozen Champagne glass then pour in the rose liqueur. Top off with Champagne. 

Another stunning movie star was Romy Schneider. This scene from Cesar et Rosalie is the quintessential summer cocktail idea. I imagine Romy is drinking an Aperol Spritz because it's one of the lightest alcoholic drinks and that makes it perfect for the beach. An Aperol Spritz is an Italian cocktail that may have been created during the Austrian occupation of Italy. It's popular in Italy, Austria and Switzerland. The Aperol Spritz is cool, sparkling, and bitter with an orange flavor (I see the oranges behind Romy).

Aperol Spritz (for a Romy-style beach picnic):

• 3 parts Proseccco
• 2 parts Aperol
• dash of soda
• slice of orange

Add ice and a slice of orange. Pour in Prosecco, the Aperol and soda.

Summer is the time for relaxing with a cool cocktail. Try making plans to enjoy some time during the season by cooling off with a special cocktail and an old movie. Cheers! xx