‘Blonde’ Has Arrived: 5 Marilyn Inspired Cocktails For Movie Night 

The eagerly-anticipated biopic of Marilyn Monroe, ‘Blonde’, has landed on Netflix, so it’s time for movie night with some Marilyn-inspired cocktails!

Starring Ana de Armas and Adrien Brody, the movie is set to depict the soaring highs and devastating lows of the young film star’s life – and what better way to celebrate her timeless talent and beauty than with a glamorous cocktail or two?

With this in mind, Patrick Pistolesi, expert mixologist at NIO Cocktails has compiled the ultimate list of tipples that the bombshell and her co-stars were filmed sipping in blockbusters throughout the years – from classic Manhattans, whisky, and of course champagne. 

1. Manhattan – Some Like it Hot (1959)

Watch that corkscrew! And prepare to tantalise your tastebuds with a cocktail so timeless, that it rivals the actress herself. 

A drink that requires only three crucial ingredients, it is as quick and easy to make as it is delicious. But unlike in the movie, you will not have to mix your drink in a hot water bottle…

You will need:

• 30ml vermouth
• 75ml bourbon
• 2 or 3 dashes of bitters
• Maraschino cherry/syrup from a jar (5ml)
• Crushed ice

Method:

• Combine the syrup, bourbon and vermouth 
• Add the dashes of bitter and stir again
• Strain the mixture into a Martini glass and add a cherry for a garnish 

2. Whisky Sour – The Seven Year Itch (1955)

If, like Richard Sherman in the movie ‘The Seven Year Itch’, you would also like to treat yourself to ‘a peanut butter sandwich and two whisky sours’, this cocktail could be the one for you. 

Famed as being the movie that contains Marilyn’s famous white-dress-over-a-subway-grating moment, this drink is guaranteed to transport you straight back to the extraordinary glamour of the 50s. 

You will need:

• 50ml bourbon
• 35ml lemon juice
• 12ml syrup
• ½ an egg white (optional)
• 2 or 3 dashes of bitters 
• Large ice cube
• 1 lemon

Method:

• Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker, then shake vigorously
• Pour the mixture over your large ice cube into a rocks glass (short glass)
• Slice the lemon and remove a square piece of its skin (zest), securing it to the side of the glass so the aroma hits the surface of the cocktail 
• As a garnish, add an orange slice or cherry (optional)

3. Vodka Martini – Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

While this iconic movie is brimming with showgirl outfits and chorus lines, it also highlights that James Bond is not the only on-screen heartthrob to enjoy a splash of vodka in his cocktails. 

While playing a trick with her friends, Marilyn and her co-stars offer a glass of ‘water’ to a male protagonist, that actually turns out to be straight vodka – and as one ingredient cannot be considered a cocktail, a vodka martini is the closest alternative. 

You will need:

• 50ml vodka 
• 1 tablespoon vermouth
• Ice
• A twist or olive for garnish 

Method: 

• Shake the ingredients in a cocktail shaker, before pouring the concoction into a martini glass 
• Finish with an olive on a toothpick or a twist of lemon zest, depending on preference 

4. Champagne Cocktail – How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)

With the cost of living crisis continuing, many of us have been guilty of dreaming of marrying a millionaire – which would, inevitably, come with an abundance of champagne cocktails. 

Unlike Marilyn in the 1953 movie, you do not have to adjust your glasses – this cocktail is, truly, as beautiful as it looks. As well as this, it is incredibly easy to make! So, once your cocktail is complete, you are free to sit back and enjoy the bubbles, just as Marilyn did in one of her most famous roles. 

You will need:

• 75ml chilled champagne (or prosecco, depending on how close to payday you are)
• 10ml cognac 
• 1 sugar cube
• ½ a tablespoon of bitters
• An orange peel twist 

Method:

• Place the sugar cube onto a small plate, then coat it with the bitters 
• Once the cube has absorbed the liquid, delicately place it into a champagne flute 
• Pour cognac over the cube 
• Pour champagne into the rest of the glass 
• Squeeze the zest of the lemon into the mixture, then apply it as a garnish 

5. Monkey Gland – Cocktail Monkey Business (1952)

Despite the beverage in the movie not actually containing any traces of monkey it is, in fact, mixed by one – and turns out to be the elixir of youth that Marilyn’s colleague, the late great Cary Grant, is seeking. 

While we cannot promise that this tipple will grant you eternal beauty, we can guarantee that it will taste just as delicious and vibrant as it looks. 

You will need:

• 60ml gin
• 3 dashes of absinthe 
• 20ml orange juice 
• 2.5ml sugar syrup
• 5ml Grenadine syrup
• Ice
• Orange twist/pineapple wedge for garnish

Method:

• Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake well 
• Pour into a martini glass
• Top with orange twist/pineapple wedge 

While all of these boozy beverages are destined to hit the spot, it is still important to enjoy them responsibly. We recommend sharing them with friends during a Marilyn movie marathon, for the ultimate movie star experience. 

Don’t feel like making your own cocktails at all? Try our pre-mixed selection at NIO Cocktails.