by David Falloure
At the onset of COVID-19, our family decided not to endure the lockdowns and restrictions in mundane fashion. Yes, we’ve binge watched various shows on multiple platforms, but we decided to spice it up a bit. And given we have adult-aged children incarcerated with us, which is a huge advantage, well, our options opened up.
COVID-19: Casablanca Night
An example is Casablanca Night—a themed evening centered on the famed Humphrey Bogart film. It’s a personal favorite, one of my top 5, in fact. My introduction to Casablanca came while in college, taking an honors class on American cinema. Everything about it mesmerizes me—clever dialogue, tense plot, subtle and unsubtle humor, exotic setting, and stellar talent. It all makes this a must see for any cinephile.
No doubt the question you have in mind is: How do you amp up an old black and white film? One doesn’t amp up a film like Casablanca—one can only enhance the experience. We began with setting. The large flat screen was adorned with special lighting for the fanfare. One family member researched formulas for every beverage mentioned in the film, and made up a few new ones in honor of characters, while another researched foods in the film. With information in hand, a call-in order to Spec’s followed by a quick curbside pickup provided the supplies we needed.
COVID-19: The Curtain Goes Up
By curtain call, champagne was on ice, the bar was set up offering a vast array of period-appropriate alcohol, along with the proper glasses. Let’s face it, solo cups are wholly inappropriate for such a venerable treasure. On the opposite side of the screen was an hors d’ oeuvres table of tantalizing items eaten in the film, such as caviar. To cap things off, our cast of COVID-19 characters all donned cocktail attire — though more rugged-looking than in 1942 Morocco. Finally, we rolled film and popped the cork on Champagne en route to celluloid bliss.
Here’s looking at you.
List of Cocktails and Liquor relating to the Film
- French 75
- Champagne
- Champagne cocktail
- Cointreau
- Cognac
- Wine
- Whiskey
- White Russian (honors Sasha)
- Manhattan (honors Rick)
David Falloure is writer for a large energy firm in Houston, Texas, and author of several books on local and Texas history. His first novel, Counterclockwise, is due out later this year. Davidhfalloureauthor.com