Oscar-inspired cocktails toast the movies

SAN FRANCISCO -- Movie magic will be the toast of Tinseltown on Oscar night, and what better way to bring the festivities couch-side than with a cocktail inspired by this year's nominees?

We asked mixologists from around the country to come up with award-worthy recipes. The results ranged from a classic cocktail that dates to the early days of flight to a bubbly concoction from the ice cream parlor featured in the family-friendly "Up."

So, dim the lights, set out the snacks and raise your glasses up, up in the air. Hurray for Hollywood.

Recipe note: Some recipes call for exotic ingredients; where possible, we've suggested alternatives. But if you're feeling adventurous, cocktail ingredients such as Parfait Amour, a purple-tinged liqueur, are available online and at some liquor stores.

A number of the drinks call for simple syrup, a common cocktail ingredient that is equal parts sugar and water. To make, heat 1 cup of water to near boiling. Add 2 cups of sugar, stirring until dissolved. Let cool before using. Refrigerate in an airtight container.

AVATAR

This cocktail uses Parfait Amour (or the more common blue curacao) to create a drink with a hue similar to the blue skin of the nature-loving Na'Vi in "Avatar." Imagine enjoying it under the Tree of Life.

AME NA'VI

Start to finish: 5 minutes

Servings: 1

Ice

1 1/2 ounces gin

1 teaspoon dry vermouth

1 teaspoon Parfait Amour or blue curacao

1 teaspoon orange juice (no pulp)

Orange peel, for garnish

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine all ingredients. Shake, then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with strip of orange peel.

(Recipe from Rafael Jimenez Rivera, bartender at the Lobby Bar of the St. Regis in San Francisco.)

Academy Award nominee "Crazy Heart" is the inspiration for this cocktail named Southern Heart. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)

CRAZY HEART

Mixologist Tara Shadzi used bourbon in tribute to Jeff Bridges' washed-up country-western singer character in "Crazy Heart," and added roses for love.

SOUTHERN HEART

Start to finish: 5 minutes

Servings: 1

Ice

1 1/2 ounces bourbon

1 1/2 ounces elderflower liquor

Juice of 1/4 of a lemon

Rose petals (optional)

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine all ingredients except the rose petals. Shake, then strain into a cocktail glass. Float fresh rose petals on top.

(Recipe from mixologist Tara Shadzi at Skybar at Mondrian in Los Angeles)

Academy Award nominee "District 9" is the inspiration for this cocktail named Alien Cooler. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)

DISTRICT 9

The movie about displaced aliens inspires a drink with a green theme. Slivers of cucumber add a tentacle effect.

ALIEN COOLER

Start to finish: 5 minutes

Servings: 1

1 1/2 ounces julienned cucumber

Ice

1 1/4 ounces premium vodka

3/4 ounce Veev ( or other acai berry liquer)

3/4 ounce lime juice

3/4 ounce simple syrup

Club soda

Cucumber slice, to garnish

Place the julienned cucumber in a 10-ounce tall, narrow tumbler. Add ice, vodka, Veev, lime juice and simple syrup. Fill the glass with club soda. Stir to mix, then garnish with a cucumber slice on edge of glass.

(Recipe from Jon Ojinaga at the Redwood Room at the Clift Hotel in San Francisco)

Academy Award nominee "An Education" is the inspiration for this cocktail named Melrose Manhattan. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)

AN EDUCATION

A classic, sophisticated cocktail in tribute to "An Education," a coming-of-age story set in 1960s England.

MELROSE MANHATTAN

Start to finish: 5 minutes

Servings: 1

1 1/2 ounces bourbon

Splash of tawny port

Dash of juice from maraschino cherries

Mix and serve straight up (no ice) in a small tulip or snifter glass.

(Recipe from the Library Bar at the Warwick Melrose Hotel in Dallas)

Academy Award nominee "Inglorious Barterds" is the inspiration for this cocktail named Lady in Red. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

Inspired by Shoshanna, the young woman who gets revenge on the Nazis in wartime Paris -- while wearing a stunning red dress -- mixologist Tony Roumph used French spirits and bright red pomegranate syrup for this drink.

LADY IN RED

Start to finish: 5 minutes

Servings: 1

1/2 ounce pomegranate juice

1/2 ounce lemon juice

1/2 ounce simple syrup

Ice

2 ounces Remy Martin VSOP

1 ounce Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur

Candied ginger and pomegranate seeds, to garnish

In a liquid measuring cup, stir together the pomegranate juice, lemon juice and simple syrup. Measure out 1 ounce of this mixture, then reserve the rest for another use.

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the 1 ounce of pomegranate-lemon syrup, Remy Martin VSOP and the ginger liqueur. Shake, then strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a slice of candied ginger and several pomegranate seeds.

(Recipe from Tony Roumph at the Cityhouse Restaurant at the Parc 55 Hotel in San Francisco)

Academy Award nominee "Julie and Julia" is the inspiration for this cocktail named Vin Amer Fizz. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)

JULIE & JULIA

This drink is named Vin Amer Fizz in tribute to Julia Child and her legacy of bringing classic French dishes to American households. Vin is French for wine; amer means bitter, and fizz stands for good times.

"Julie & Julia" follows the parallel stories of Child, working on her cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" during the post-war years, and Julie Powell, a modern young woman who shakes up her life by making the recipes.

In true artisan fashion, mixologist Jackson Cannon starts with house-made rose vermouth. But for us American servantless cooks, a store brand works just fine.

VIN AMER FIZZ

Start to finish: 5 minutes

Servings: 1

2 ounces rose vermouth

1 ounce apricot brandy

1/2 ounce lemon juice

1 egg white (or an equivalent amount of pasteurized egg white product, depending on preference)

Ice

Champagne

In a cocktail shaker, combine the vermouth, apricot brandy, lemon juice and egg white. Shake well to emulsify. Add ice, then shake again to chill. Strain into a coupe or martini glass. Top with Champagne.

(Recipe from Jackson Cannon of Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks in Boston)

Academy Award nominee "A Serious Man" is the inspiration for this cocktail named A Serious Man. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)

A SERIOUS MAN

The approaching storm at the end of "A Serious Man" inspired this drink, a take on the dark 'n stormy.

A SERIOUS MAN

Start to finish: 5 minutes

Servings: 1

Juice of 1/2 lime

3 ounces ginger beer

2 1/2 ounces premium dark rum

Lime peel, to garnish

Pour the lime juice into a tall glass. Fill with ice. Add the ginger beer, then pour the rum gently on top so it "floats." Garnish with a strip of lime peel.

(Recipe from Bryan Ranere of Foreign Cinema in San Francisco)

Academy Award nominee "Up" is the inspiration for this kid friendly drink named Celebration Ice Cream Float. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)

UP

"Up," a movie about an old man and his young neighbor who fly in a balloon-powered house to South America, includes some San Francisco Bay area landmarks, including the popular ice cream parlor, Fenton's Creamery, in Oakland. Fenton's master blender Scott Whidden came up with this recipe he says will take you "Up, up and away!"

CELEBRATION ICE CREAM FLOAT

Start to finish: 5 minutes

Servings: 1

Italian sparkling water

1/4 ounce orange syrup (such as Torani)

Premium vanilla ice cream

Fill a tall glass with sparkling water and the orange syrup. Mix, then stir 1 teaspoon of the ice cream into the soda until frothy. Gently top the soda with a scoop of ice cream.

(Recipe from Scott Whidden of Fenton's Creamery in Oakland, Calif.)

Academy Award nominee "Up In The Air" is the inspiration for this cocktail named The Aviation. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)

UP IN THE AIR

The skies inspire a cocktail for "Up in the Air," a movie about a corporate downsizing expert with a passion for frequent flying. This is a classic cocktail that dates to 1916, when flying was a new-fangled adventure. The Creme de Violette gives the drink a tinge of blue sky.

THE AVIATION

Start to finish: 5 minutes

Servings: 1

Ice

1 1/2 ounces gin

1/2 ounce maraschino liqueur

1/3 ounce Creme de Violette (or blue curacao)

3/4 ounce lemon juice

1/4 ounce simple syrup

Lemon peel

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine all ingredients except the lemon peel. Shake well, then strain into a chilled martini glass. Twist a lemon peel over the surface of the drink to add a few drops of lemon oil.

(Recipe from Charles Joly of The Drawing Room in Chicago)