A real red carpet night out with the stars begins with red carpet cocktails with the oldies but goodies movie stars. Back in the day glamour wasn’t just something movie stars slipped into on Oscar night. Stars shined as if buffed and polished by the big wigs who shaped every nth of their career. Cocktail hour gatherings were met with tuxes and cocktail dresses with swanky sips in classy night clubs. Red carpet cocktails were defined by the people who sipped and shaped the movie industry.

Greta Garbo

Greta Garbo

1 ounce Brandy

1 ounce Dry Vermouth

1 ounce Orange Juice

1/4 ounce Grenadine

Dash Crème de Menthe

Combine liquids in cocktail shaker with ice. Stir or shake according to preference. Strain into large rocks glass over fresh ice.

Greta Garbo ranks number five on the 1999 American Film Institute’s female listing of 50 Greatest American Film Legends. The listing ranks the top 25 men and top 25 women in film. Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn top each respective list.

Marlene Dietrich

Marlene Dietrich

3 ounces Canadian Whiskey

2 dashes Angostura Bitters

1/2 ounce Orange Curacao

Lemon & Orange Wedge Garnish

Combine liquids in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake or stir according to preference. Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with lemon and orange wedge. Alternative serve: Strain into wine glass over fresh ice.

Marlene Dietrich ranks number 9 on the American Film Legends listing. She was one of the highest paid actresses of her time partly due to her glamorous femme fatale image. Earnest Hemingway is quoted as saying, “If she had nothing more than her voice, she could break your heart with it.”

Ginger Rogers

Ginger Rogers

1 ounce Gin

1 ounce Dry Vermouth

1 ounce Apricot Brandy

1/4 ounce Lemon Juice

Combine liquids in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to blend and chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Alternative: Muddled fresh ginger, Splash fresh lime juice, topped with champagne. Also: Mojito style using Ginger Syrup in exchange for Simple syrup, Gin rather than Rum and topping the drink off with Ginger Ale.

Ginger Rogers is quoted as saying, “Hollywood is like an empty wastebasket.” But she had a few Hollywood favorites too; Cary Grant, Lucille Ball, Lew Ayres and of course Fred Astaire. Even though Ginger Rogers has a cocktail named for her, she didn’t drink. Her home bar was stocked with her favorite; ice cream sodas. Ginger Rogers ranks number 14 on the American Film Legends listing.

Mae West

Mae West

3 ounces Brandy

1 Egg Yolk

1 teaspoon Powdered Sugar

Cayenne Pepper Garnish

Place ingredients in cocktail shaker. Dry shake. Add ice. Shake to completely blend and chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with light sprinkle of cayenne pepper. Alternative: 1 ounce Gin, 1/2 ounce Dry Vermouth, 3/4 ounce Apricot Brandy, 3/4 ounce Lime Juice, Dash Orange Bitters, Lemon Twist Garnish. Shake liquids with ice. Strain in cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

“Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly.” – Mae West. Well said and could definitely be applied to mixing and measuring cocktails or many other worthwhile ventures this Sex Goddess might have had in mind. Mae West is another non-drinking woman of film who made the number 15 slot on the American Film Legends list. Mae pushed the envelope on more than one occasion, but one prime example: She named the first play she ever wrote ‘Sex.’ Of course, one of my favorite quotes from this marvelous woman of film… “When I’m good I’m very good, but when I’m bad I’m even better.” My kind of woman.

Jean Harlow

Jean Harlow

2 ounces Light Rum

2 ounces Sweet Vermouth

Lemon Peel Garnish

Combine liquids in mixing glass with ice. Stir or shake to chill according to preference. Strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with lemon peel.

Dubbed the “Platinum Blonde” and “Blonde Bombshell” due to her vamped up party girl sex appeal on the silver screen, Jean Harlow made her way to the number 22 spot on the American Film Legends list. Jean Harlow was the first female star to feature on the cover of Life Magazine; May 1937. Jean died at age 26, yet made 36 movies during her short career.

Mary Pickford

Mary Pickford

2 ounces Light Rum

2 ounces Pineapple Juice

1 teaspoon Grenadine

1 teaspoon Maraschino Liqueur

Maraschino Cherry Garnish

Combine liquids in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to blend and chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with maraschino cherry.

Mary Pickford is as timeless as the classic cocktail named in her honor. She ranks number 24 with American Film Legends. Mary Pickford was known as America’s Sweetheart, but loved throughout the world. She was one of the founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences along with Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks. She starred in 236 films during her career and received an Oscar for Lifetime Achievement in 1976. She was the first film star to have her name placed in marquee lights.

Red Carpet Cocktails for Classic Glamour Goddesses