In my post last week, I talked about how much I enjoy drinking the Lumière. Several different people asked me what the recipe was. I decided to revisit my post from last year in June. In the summer months, especially, I like to mix up one of these beauties after a long hot day. Refreshing and delicious, a Lumiere is a perfect cocktail for a for quenching your thirst. This cocktail is tart with lime and just a little sweet and yet a little herby, the combination is perfection
This is a bit of a story on how the Lumière cocktail got its name and how it all came about.
When you see the name Lumière, most people think about the candlestick from Beauty And The Beast. In this instance, they would be wrong. This particular cocktail was invented by a bartender in New York City to commemorate the nomination of the film Hugo for several academy awards. Though Hugo didn’t win that year’s Best Picture Award, it did win several awards including Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Visual Effects. It’s a lovely voyage through early 20th century Paris. Hugo is the story of a young boy who discovers a broken mechanical man and his journey to discover who made him. It also follows the life Georges Méliès, who is a real-life famous early French filmmaker. The Lumière brothers invented an early motion picture camera that Méliès used in his films.
Hugo, directed by Martin Scorsese, is one of my favorite films of all time and worth seeking out to watch. It is based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. Mr. Selznick is a puppeteer in New York and has written several books as a side hobby. As a friend who knows him described, he definitely did well with his side hobby!
To make a Lumière, all you need is an excellent smooth gin (I love Spring44 gin for this), some elderflower liqueur (such as St Germaine), a bit of Green Chartreuse, a dash of orange bitters (if you have it), and fresh lime juice. Give it a shake, and one sip your on a magical journey of sophistication through elderflower, citrus, and green chartreuse which mirrors Hugo’s and Isabella’s enchanting quest through 1930’s Paris.
a magical journey of sophistication through elderflower, citrus, and green chartreuse which mirrors Hugo's and Isabella's enchanting quest through 1930's Paris.
- 1 ½ oz of an excellent smooth Gin I used Spring44 Gin, or use Spring44 Mountain gin
- 1 oz St Germain or other elderflower liqueur
- ¾ oz green chartreuse
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
- a dash of orange bitters optional
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Chill a coupe glass by putting it in the fridge or filling it with ice.
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Place the gin, St Germain, Green Chartreuse, the fresh lime juice, and the dash of orange bitters into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
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Shake vigorously for a minute until very cold.
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Empty the coupe glass of ice, if chilling. Pour the shaken cocktail into the chilled coupe glass and serve.
