And the Nominees Are...

We have another big event coming up next week, The Academy Awards. Yes, the coveted gold Oscars will be given out to the best of the best (according to some, at least) in Hollywood for their acheivements in the last year. If nothing else, it's another great reason for a party. For this year's Oscar parties I've collected a few original cocktails to honor a few of the nominees. They all have that glamorous look you'd expect for a night filled with glitz, glam and celebrity faces. So with no further adieu, the nominees are...

• Babel-On the Rocks- The film Babel, starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, is a complex thriller about a married couple vacationing in the Moroccan dessert. The drink is a refreshing variation of the White Russian.
• The Departini- The Departed falls in line with many of Martin Scorsese's previous, equally brilliant films and has an all-star cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson. The cocktail is just as thrilling; with tequila, Cognac, Cointreau and agave nectar.
• Royal-Tea- Drama at it's max, with the sophistication of the English Crown. The Queen is a captivating tribute to how the two leaders of one nation handled the catastrophic events of Princess Di's death. Helen Mirren gives a brilliant portrayal of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and her counterpart, Tony Blair, is played by the talented Michael Sheen. Of course, nothing would pay tribute to this movie other than "a spot of tea" and in the drink, Earl Grey plays nicely with gin.
• Sunshine in Malibu- Little Miss Sunshine was one of the funniest films released last year and it's no wonder considering the cast that is led by the ever-hilarious Greg Kinnear with help from Alan Arkin, Steve Carrell and Toni Collette. But we must not forget the "Sunshine" herself, the 10 year-old Abigail Breslin. The cocktail is as bright and shiny, filled with citrus and two flavors of rum.

Photo Courtesy of: © Kahlua