It’s no secret that I love Amelie. It’s my favorite movie EVER, and I’ve watched it a zillion times. Every time I watch it, I see or hear something new, and I’m always inspired by it. Recently I pulled a few images from it (okay, like a hundred images) that I loved. I planned to blog about them, but there’s just so much to say that I’ll have to break it up into parts.

I’d like to do this with many of my favorite films – if you guys get bored with it, just skip these posts. 🙂 I just find so much inspiration in movies – I always end up at thrift stores looking for similar props.

I wanted to start with food and drink in Amelie – but even that is overwhelming. So, here’s part 1 of a bajillion: drinks.

The Beverages of Amelie

I have always wanted to open a tiny French-style café like Les Deux Moulins. I want a full bar, espresso machines, and daily specials like endive gratin. But the fact is, no matter how much I style the cafe to be like a French café, the customers will be American. They will order vodka-and-sevens or cosmos, not cognacs and kirs. Anyway. I’m so in love with the simplicity of beverages in the film – no fancy cocktails, no expensive wines, just good, simple drinks.

I love how Gina yells out the orders to the bartender. Here she asks for one kir (crème de cassis and white wine), one mauresque (pastis with orgeat syrup), and two mint sodas. Are the mint sodas something like this? Or just carbonated water and mint syrup? Sigh.

Here is Madame Suzanne with the mauresque, served with a carafe of water. Lovely.

Here is Hipolito with his kir. I love the long-stemmed glass.

Dominique Bretodeau drinks cognac, neat. Two of them, in fact, to help him calm down a bit. Does anyone out there have a favorite cognac or brandy for sipping? I’m still looking.

People are so gracious as hosts in this film. Amelie is constantly offered refreshment wherever she goes.

Dominique Bredoteau (a case of mistaken identity), offers her tea… Earl Grey, Bergamot, Jasmine. Amelie declines. 😉

Madeleine Wallace offers her a glass of port. (Such tiny glasses! I’ll be thrifting for these soon.) Amelie sips reluctantly.

Monsieur Dufayel offers her mulled wine and spice cookies. Doesn’t that sound lovely? She dips the cookie in the wine (yum). And look at his glass mug! I have one of these that I found at a thrift store. I plan to drink mulled wine out of it this winter.

Monsieur and Madame Collignon offer her hot tea and fresh berries. I think Monsieur Collignon might be drinking a citron pressé.

And finally, look at this lovely glassware Collignon uses for his liquors! I’d love to find a vintage decanter for our whiskey soon.

Oh, how I love this movie. 🙂