The Hi Fi Cocktail

In my last post on the movie OSS 117 Lost in Rio aka OSS 117 Rio ne répond plus (2009), I make mention of a cocktail that I saw on a drinks menu during the movie. To refresh your memory, here is the picture with said menu:

The fifth drink on the menu is what stood out to me: The Hi Fi cocktail. In searching online, I found that the Hi Fi cocktail is basically a variation of The Screwdriver, which is vodka and orange juice. According to the Cocktail Hunter listing for a Hi Fi Cocktail the cocktail is made with 1 1/2 oz Vodka and an Orange soda to top with an orange slice garnish. I also saw on the Cocktails Wiki page the Hi Fi Cocktail that the drink is made with 1 shot of Vodka and 2 shots Orange Carbonated Drink such as Orangina or Orange Crush over ice with an orange slice as garnish.

This wouldn't be the first time that I used Orangina in a cocktail. Back on December 21, 2012, I wrote a post entitled Le Grand Orange whose recipe bears a similarity to the two recipes listed above. In Le Grand Orange, I used 2oz Absolute Mandarin, a Splash of Grand Marnier with an Orangina top off and Orange slice garnish. Since I already used Orangina for this cocktail, I decided to use something else for the Hi Fi cocktail.

In my local supermarket, I found that they stocked Sanpelligrino Aranciata. Here is how the Sanpelligrino Aranciata is described on the Sanpelligrino website:

Sanpellegrino Aranciata, the Italian orangeade par excellence, is a product with an unique taste and a long history, being born in 1932. It has become a status symbol exported worldwide, distinguished by Italian style. The full taste and the naturalness of Italian oranges characterize this delicious non-alcoholic sparkling soft drink. To be enjoyed chilled.

After picking up a six-pack of bottles, I decided to make the Hi Fi Cocktail:

Hi Fi Cocktail
2oz of Grey Goose Vodka
6oz of Sanpellegrino Aranciata orange sparkling water

Build over ice in a Collins glass. Garnish with an Orange slice.

After Momma-San saw me drinking a couple of these cocktails, she stated "It looks like you need an umbrella in that drink", which considering that it came off the menu, at the bar of a hotel pool in the movie it makes sense.

The cocktail was very light and refreshing. The Aranciata gave the cocktail a nice bubbly and silky feel. It felt very tropical. I also decided to make one cocktail with some Diet Sunkist orange soda but found that it wasn't the same as with the Aranciata. It lacked fizz. It was actually kind of bland.

You could very simply substitute the Vodka for Gin (as I did after five cocktails caused me to kill my Grey Goose Vodka bottle). But I find that I prefer it with Vodka. The neutral aspect of the Vodka lets the orange flavors stand out rather than blending in with the Gin.

There you have the Hi Fi cocktail. Next time you're on vacation in Italy or in your living room, feel free to make yourself one or seven like I did =)

Until Then Happy Drinking,
Sisco Vanilla
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OSS 117: Rio ne répond plus (2009)

Today's installment of SiscoVanilla at the Movies stays in the world of French secret agent OSS 117. The year is 1967 and this time the case takes him to Rio De Janeiro where he clashes with the Chinese, the Germans, the Nazis and two luchadores while butting heads with the CIA and the Mossad. Cocktails and beautiful women are plentiful while Agent de La Bath (Jean Dujardin) is on the case in OSS 117 Lost in Rio aka OSS 117 Rio ne répond plus (2009).

The first instance of cocktails is during the scene at the hotel pool where Agent de La Bath is impressing all the ladies at the pool with his physique as he climbs up to the high dive platform. As he gets ready to dive into the pool, he gets a bout of acrophobia (fear of heights) due to a past experience that is highlighted in flashback. He disappoints the ladies by not diving into the pool. The scene at the bar where the ladies look away in disappointment, there is a Drinks menu on the board.

Here is a list of the drinks:

• Bloody Mary
• Gin (Something or other. I couldn't read the second word)
• Cuba Libre
• Caipirinha
• Hi Fi
• Kir Royale
• Alexander
• Whiskey Sour
• Dry Martini
• Daiquiri
• Negroni

I will focus on the one cocktail I hadn't heard of before in my next post which is The Hi Fi Cocktail. For now I want to go into something that I find funny about the next scene. 

The camera pans across a table that has a pack of cigarettes, a lighter and five empty cocktail glasses. 

I know these two movies by director Michel Hazanavicius are an homage to the 1960's era spy movies especially the Sean Connery James Bond movies. But I can't help wonder if this scene is out and out poking fun at the impression that spies can just drink countless cocktails and still function flawlessly. Let's fast forward to a recent James Bond Movie: Quantum of Solace (2008). 

Bond (Daniel Craig) is on a plane flying from Talamone, Italy to La Paz, Bolivia with Rene Mathis (Giancarlo Giannini). Mathis seems to awaken from sleep, notices that Bond is not asleep and finds Bond at the bar. When Mathis asks Bond what's he been drinking, Bond has the bartender describe the cocktail which is Ian Fleming's recipe for the Vesper cocktail: 3 measures Gordon's Gin, 1 measure Vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet, shake until ice cold and garnish with a long, thin lemon peel. As per the bartender, Bond has had six of them and is awake, brooding and as intense as ever. 

Let's go back to Agent OSS 117 who is at poolside in Rio de Janeiro. As seen above, OSS 117 has polished off five cocktails. So what's he doing? He's doing what most of us would probably be doing...

Sleeping. LOL. I'm not sure if that was done fully tongue-in-cheek by the director but I have to tell you, if I had five cocktails I'd probably resemble OSS 117 more than 007. 

A day or so later Agent OSS 117 makes contact with the Mossad agents in Rio who want to work together with him to find their common enemy: Von Zimmel. After some solo reconnaissance, Mossad Agent Dolorès Koulechov (Louise Monot) find OSS 117 in of all places: 

In a bar...conversing with two beautiful ladies. Surprised? Now why would you be. 

She asks him if he's had any progress on the case and of course he hasn't...at least not consciously. Koulechov states that Von Zimmel has made contact with the CIA and the CIA agent in charge in Rio is Bill Trumendous (Ken Samuels) who happens to be friends with de La Bath and has recently given him his business card. Off to CIA headquarters to see Trumendous. 

At CIA Headquarters Trumendous asks one of his secretaries to bring them "3 Groovy Coconuts" while being just as misogynistic and demeaning as Agent OSS 117 can be. 

This cocktail intrigues me since nothing comes up for it on the internet. I am going to assume that this cocktail drunk straight from coconut shells with a pretty umbrella sticking out from it is an alcoholic drink. Especially since you can see the "Mad Men" style bar cart in the background full of bottles of liquor.

I'm going to have to come up with an idea of a cocktail called a Groovy Coconut for when the weather starts to warm. Any ideas? Suggestions?

Well that's all for now in the world of Agent Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath, alias OSS 117. My next post will be on the Hi Fi cocktail that I mention above. Come back and check it out.

Until Then Happy Drinking,

Sisco Vanilla

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#siscovanillaatthemovies