Bill Murray Movies Paired To Winter Cocktail Recipes

The holidays can be overwhelming for the young drinker. From the requisite time spent with family to the long dark nights and the endless Christmas carols in every single department store, deciding which drink you desperately need at the end of the day can be a challenge. But, hey! Everyone likes Bill Murray, right? So why not mix America’s real sweetheart with the perfect drink to match? We at Quirk have your back, pairing five of Murray’s best movies with their ideal alcoholic counterpart from our book, Winter Cocktails.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Very Murray Christmas

A Very Murray Christmas is dropping on December 4th, and we at Quirk, like all decent people in this world, are crazy excited. Sophia Coppola is directing the film in which Murray intends to put on a Christmas show, but the weather keeps away all the audience members. Luckily, he’s still got a George Clooney-obsessed Amy Poehler and a caroling Miley Cyrus.

Pair it with: The Golden Hog. Like this movie, the Golden Hog is a drink with many fine ingredients that frankly shouldn’t work together but turn out delightfully, if surprisingly, tasty.

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks.
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract.
• Simple syrup to taste
• 6 ounces Bacon-Infused Bourbon, divided
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• Crushed ice
• Candied bacon, for garnish

Directions: Pulse pineapple and vanilla in a food processor until no pineapple bits remain and mixture is frothy. Add simple syrup to taste. Transfer half the mixture to a shaker and add 3 ounces of the bourbon and a dash of the remaining pineapple mixture, bourbon, bitters, and ice. Garnish with candied bacon and serve.

Lost in Translation

Another Coppola classic, Lost in Translation is about a moment of connection. The backdrop of lively Tokyo sets the stage for the complicated relationship between an aging actor and a college student.

Pair it with: Jaibol, the drink whose name and origin really couldn’t be better even if Coppola made it up herself. Dr. Silvio Cuadra is ninety years old, and continues to perform surgeries and make house calls in Granada, Nicaragua. He comes home for lunch and a nap, and for ages his ritual was to sit in a rocking chair facing the atrium and have what he called a jaibol. It took his granddaughter years to figure out that he was saying “highball,” and as a child, she was clueless about the drinks contents. Although her grandfather’s drink turned out to be whiskey on the rocks, the jaibol is based on her memories of rosebushes at their childhood home and the sharp smell of his cologne. (via Winter Cocktails)

Ingredients:

• 1.5 ounces rose-infused gin or vodka
• .5 ounces St-Germain elderflower liqueur
• 1 ounce Blood Orange Sour Mix

Directions: Place gin or vodka, elderflower liqueur, and sour mix in a shaker. Shake vigorously, pour into an ice-filled highball glass, and serve.

 

Ghostbusters (a trilogy of drinks)

In Ghostbusters, Murray is one of several New York parapsychologists who start their own ghost-hunting business after being fired from a much more normal job. Culminating, naturally, with the demon Zuul and the evil giant Marshmallow Man, let’s just say the heroes win.

Pair it with: Classic Eggnog, the immortal drink that everyone loves.

Ingredients:

• 8 large eggs, separated
• Pinch salt
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup brandy
• 1 cup dark rum
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• .5 cups sugar
• Freshly grated nutmeg

Directions: In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks, brown sugar, and salt until thickened and pale brown in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Whish in cream and milk, followed by the brandy, rum, and vanilla.

In a separate large, clean bowl, whip egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar and continue whipping until firm, glossy peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Transfer cream mixture to a punch or serving bowl. Fold in egg whites with a rubber spatula and ladle portions into cups. Sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg.

 

Ghostbusters II occurs five years later, after the team has split up following a city lawsuit. When the supernatural presence and paranormal activity begin dramatically increasing, the city needs the Ghostbusters once again.

Pair it with: Butterscotch Eggnog, an old school twist on a familiar classic.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups whole milk
• .5 cups water
• 1.5 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 8 large eggs, separated
• ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 cups bourbon
• Maddon salt, for garnish

Directions: Combine cream and milk in a bowl or measuring cup. Stir together water with 1 cup of the sugar in a large, heavy-bottom saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until sugar turns dark amber and just begins to smoke, 6 to 8 minutes. Immediately add cream mixture, stepping away from pan until bubbling and sputtering subside. Reduce heat to medium and stir just until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks, brown sugar, and vanilla until thickened. Whisking constantly, pour the caramel mixture into the egg yolk mixture and combine until well incorporated. Whisk in bourbon. Pour mixture back in saucepan and cover to keep warm.

In a separate large bowl whip egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar and continue whipping until firm, glossy peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Transfer cream mixture to a punch or serving bowl. Fold in egg whites with a rubber spatula and ladle portions into warmed heatproof glasses or mugs. If serving cold, allow butterscotch mixture to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled. Sprinkle with Maddon salt before serving.

 

Ghostbusters (2016) doesn’t star Bill Murray, but this reboot with an all-female Ghostbusters team is an homage to the classic eighties comedies which are Bill Murray’s claim to fame. 

Pair it with: Pumpkin-Bourbon Eggnog, a reinvention of the classic with some of today’s most popular flavors.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
• .5 teaspoon allspice
• Pinch salt
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups whole milk
• 8 large eggs, separated
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• .5 cups sugar

Directions: Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, allspice, and salt and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Whisk in cream, milk, bourbon, and brandy or cognac and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks, brown sugar, and vanilla until thickened. Whisking constantly, pour the pumpkin mixture into the egg yolk mixture and combine until well incorporated. Pour mixture back in saucepan and cover to keep warm.

In a separate large bowl whip egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar and continue whipping until firm, glossy peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Transfer cream mixture to a punch or serving bowl. Fold in egg whites with a rubber spatula and ladle portions into warmed heatproof glasses or mugs. If serving cold, allow the pumpkin mixture to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled. Ladle into chilled glasses.

 

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

Wes Anderson’s classic stars Murray as an oceanographer/documentarian who is determined to find the jaguar shark that ate his partner. A diverse crew including several of Anderson’s favorites is around to film the moment when he kills the shark.

Pair it with: Pear Smash, an eccentric combination of savory, citric, earthy, and floral ingredients that looks just as perfectly beautiful as a Wes Anderson classic.

Ingredients:

• 1 Bosc or Bartlett pear, peeled, cored, and grated
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons packed dark brown sugar
• 6 fresh sage leaves
• Pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 1.5 ounces Chamomile-Pear Infused Gin or Vodka
• 1 ounce pear brandy
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• .5 cups crushed ice

Directions: Place pear, ginger, lemon zest, brown sugar, sage, and pepper in a shaker. Smash ingredients together with a muddler. Add gin or vodka, brandy, bitters, and ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled glass.

 

Groundhog Day

Murray is a cocky, pretentious weatherman who is required to cover an annual Groundhog Day event. But after his first go, in his standard cavalier way, he gets stuck in a time loop, repeating the same day again and again as he learns to make better choices, be a better man, and all those classic redemption arc elements.

Pair it with: 1001 Nights, the exotic yet soothing drink that Phil Collins and Scheherazade would both enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups dark rum
• 1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 cups coconut milk
• Pinch salt
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
• .25 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 ounce Bährenjäger honey liqueur
• 1 cup whipped cream, or more if desired, for garnish
• Toasted coconut flakes, for garnish

Directions: Bring rum, dates, and cinnamon to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until dates are plump and soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

Transfer mixture to a blender. Add coconut milk and salt and pulse until pureed. Return mixture to saucepan and simmer over low heat until heated through, about 5 minutes. Add honey and stir until incorporated. Remove from heat and straight through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, discarding solids.

Using an electric mixer, beat heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and honey liqueur on medium speed in a large, chilled bowl until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle drink into warm cups, top with whipped cream, and sprinkle with toasted coconut flakes.

Happy holidays from all of us at Quirk Books, and happy drinking!