Single-Malt Movies: Elf & Spiked Coffee

/ December 20, 2012

Even though I watch Elf (2003) at least once a year and have gotten quite sick of it, it still holds as one of my favorite Christmas movies.  It’s hilarious, well-written, and conveniently for me has some sneaky ways of incorporating alcohol.  Grab a flask of your favorite syrup and a cup of coffee and join me as I review Elf and the best ways to spike coffee.

Amaretto Coffee

New Line Cinema
Oh, syrup and coffee? Why didn’t I think of that? Can I try some?

  • 1-1/2 oz. amaretto almond liqueur
  • 8 oz. coffee
  • whipped cream

Very simple and very tasty! Put a shot of amaretto into a coffee mug and fill it up with coffee. A little whipped cream on top is the perfect garnish!

Plot: Buddy the Elf (Ferrel) snuck into Santa’s bag of toys at an orphanage as an infant and ended up being raised by elves.  Eventually he learns that he is in fact human and goes on a quest to New York City to find and befriend his father.  Hilarity ensues as a full-grown man who thinks that he’s an elf tries to 1) blend into NYC 2) win his father off the naughty list and 3) win the heart of the pre-adorkable Zooey Deschanel.
One of the reasons I love this movie so much is because it has the feel of a very classic Christmas movie while still remaining modern.  The opening credits for the movie are styled very much like old animated Christmas specials, like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Coming to Town.  Complete with storybook cutouts and talking claymation adorable little Christmas critters.  Even the costumes are inspired by old Christmas movies.

New Line Cinema
They have the same hats!

Now, if you don’t remember, Buddy the Elf loves syrup.  It’s one of the four main food groups for elves.  He also hates coffee.  When he visits his dad at the office for a day, he learns he’s too distractable to sit around all day, so he goes to work in the mail room.  In the mail room, he sees a disgruntled employee adding alcohol to coffee and mistakes it for syrup.  Loving the idea of putting syrup into coffee, Buddy gets drunk.
Because most movies have a penchant for never pointing the labels of alcohol bottles toward the camera, I have no idea what type of liquor Buddy was so deliciously pouring into his coffee.  A personal favorite of mine is Disaronno, hinted at by my first recipe above.  But there are a lot of ways to mix alcohol into coffee!
Let me also speak on Zooey Deschanel.  I really loved her in this movie.  She has blonde hair, long before her transformation into the iconic black-blunt-bangs look.  She also has a fantastic voice.  She’s a cynical, beautiful department store employee just trying to get through the holidays.  She gives Buddy something to love about New York City, and he helps thaw her cynical holiday spirit.  I wouldn’t quite call her a MPDG in this film, but she adds a nice touch.
Speaking of a nice touch, there are plenty of things you can add to coffee to spike it.  Let’s

The best flavored vodka, in my opinion.

go over a few of my favorites!  Smirnoff Vanilla Vodka is definitely at the top of the list.  If you google “vanilla vodka recipes”, one of your first hits will be a Yahoo! question asking “What can you do with vanilla vodka besides throw it away?”, and you’ll learn that not a lot of people like it.  That’s so silly.  You can add it to coffee, hot chocolate, orange juice, and so much more.  I’ve already mentioned that Disaronno Amaretto goes great in coffee.  So does Anisette liqueur.  Great for slipping into your coffee after brunch on a dreary Sunday morning.

This film is anything but dreary.  Much of the dialogue is improvised by Will Ferrell, including the ever-quotable, “Buddy the Elf! What’s your favorite color?”.  It’s become a classic quote in Christmas internet culture.  That’s a thing, right?  Christernet culture?  Ah well.  This film is a modern Christmas classic beyond any doubt, and I’d like to think it’s better than the meme-dom it’s inspired.  Spike some coffee and enjoy!

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One thought on “Single-Malt Movies: Elf & Spiked Coffee”

  1. Pingback: The Tuesday Zone: ‘Love, Actually’, the Classic American Christmas Movie | Rooster Illusion

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