Some movies have their own cocktail. Some movies need their own cocktail.
If you read the novel War of the Roses or saw its first deliciously dark cinematic incarnation starring Kathleen Turner, Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito, you’ll recall how, wow, a drink (or, today, a gummy perhaps) during certain particularly wince-worthy moments might have taken the edge off. Thirty-six years later, the movie in all its uncomfortable audacity has been resurrected because, well, you can’t keep a good story down. For long.
The new version, The Roses, releasing today, Friday, Aug. 29, promises to be a blackhearted brazen buffet, starring the wonderful Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbach as the modern-day Roses whose once perfect-seeming marriage goes the way of a disastrous soufflé that not only falls, but gets poisoned and set on fire, too. Oof.
Both Sag Harbor Cinema and the Regal UA East Hampton will be screening the film’s U.S. premier this holiday weekend — and, even better, Il Buco Vita (225 Main St., Amagansett, 631-267-5805) is having a little celebratory aperitif soireé to celebrate. From 4 to 7 p.m., head over to the shop for bites provided by next-door Il Buco al Mare, a special gift bag with treats from Il Buco Vita, Land’s End, The Spice Lab and Le Creuset, as well as a signature cocktail created just for the film’s release: “The Roses” Negroni.
Can’t make it to the Amagansett shindig on this final weekend of summer? That’s okay — the good folks at Il Buco al Mare, generous as they are, shared the recipe. Do try this at home — as unlike the Roses marriage, it’s as far from a recipe for disaster as you can get; and it’ll come in handy if you decide to watch the first War of the Roses. Forewarned is forearmed.
The Roses Negroni
Ingredients
- 1 oz Fords Gin
- 1 oz Contratto Rosso Vermouth
- 1/2 oz Campari
- 1/2 oz Contratto Aperitivo
- rosewater
- rose petal, for garnish
Directions
- Spritz a double rocks glass with rosewater, then fill with ice.
- Pour in the gin, vermouth, Campari and Contratto Aperitivo. Give it a little stir.
- Garnish with the rose petal*. Cin-cin!
- [* Fresh, unsprayed rose petals, or store-bought versions that are suitable for culinary purposes, are a must. Most roses found in stores have been sprayed with a floral preservative, so be sure to ask before using.]
