Boy with Apple

Inspired by the iconic Boy With Apple painting from The Grand Budapest Hotel, this cocktail blends Apple Brandy, Granny Smith Apple Saccharum, Butterfly Pea Flowers, ginger syrup, and champagne, offering a Central European-inspired flavor palette to complement the art and storytelling at the hotel. (Recipe Below)

"Boy With Apple", the prized possession of Madame D. (Tilda Swinton) bequeathed the painting to concierge Gustave as a last-minute change to her will. This cocktail is inspired by this painting and has influenced each ingredient as it influenced the course of Gustave and Zero's immediate and future path. The priceless painting is described as "Czech mannerist, Habsburg high Renaissance, Budapest neo-humanist" style of the boy Johannes Van Hoytl the Younger set in a dark castle with velvet curtains with a apple held at platform with one hand while delicately pinching the apple stem at the top with the other. The apple flavor and Central Europe region calls for Apple Brandy and to add more apple flavor, Granny Smith Apple Saccharum. We infused the Apple Brandy with Butterfly Pea Flowers until it became the deep royal-purple color worn by the staff at The Grand Budapest Hotel. To add a little bit of spice and more sweetness, Ginger syrup. All to be topped of with some chilled champagne that is Mr. Moustafa approved, so you can enjoy this cocktail with, "Ducks roasted with olives, lamb, and salad" while you enjoy the art on the menu and listen to the fantastical story from the beginning at the Grand Budapest Hotel's restaurant.

2.5 oz (75mL) Boy with Apple Infusion

.25 oz (7.5mL) Granny Smith Saccharum

.25 oz (7.5mL) Ginger Syrup

2-3 oz (60-90mL) Chilled Champagne

Candied Crab Apple or Maraschino Cherry

In a mixing glass, combine 2.5 oz Boy with Apple Infusion, .25 oz Granny Smith Saccharum, and .25 oz Ginger Syrup. Add ice and stir until chilled; Strain into a chilled Absinthe or cocktail glass; top with 3 oz of chilled champagne. Garnish with a candied crab apple or maraschino cherry.

Boy With Apple Infusion

8 oz (240mL) Apple Brandy

6 oz (180mL) Luxardo or Maraschino Liqueur

2 Tbs (30g) Dried Butterfly Pea Flowers

Combine everything in a jar, cover and give a gentle shake. Store in a cool, dark place for 24 hours, strain out flowers.

Granny Smith Saccharum

1 Granny Smith Apple

.5 cup (100g) Cane Sugar

Dice or slice a clean granny smith apple. Combine with sugar in a resealable bag and gently mix. Leave in the refrigerator for 24 hours occasionally mixing to combine. Strain out into a syrup bottle.

Ginger Syrup

.25 lb (113.4 g) Fresh Ginger

2 oz (60mL) Water

.5 cup (100 g) Cane Sugar

Blender Method

In a blender jar, combine Ginger and Water. Pulse until juice can be extracted. Strain out the solids through cheese cloth.

Juicer Method

Juice ginger, add 2 oz of water to the juice.

Combine in a small saucepan ginger juice and sugar. Heat over medium low heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. When small bubbles start to form, remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Pour into a syrup bottle. Store in a cool, dark place.

Lairds Apple Brandy

100 proof/ 50% ABV
Laird & Company
Straight Apple Brandy is a brandy distilled from 100% apples. Applejack Brandy is a blend of 100% apple brandy and another distilled spirit. This apple brandy is aged in oak casks contributing to its concentrated apple, with a slight toast, straw and cherry notes.
Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

64 proof/32% ABV
Girolamo Luxardo SpA
A liqueur that starts with fermenting Luxardo cherries and cherry tree branches in large ashwood vats. After three years, it is distilled then simple syrup and water are added to balance ot to 32% ABV. The overall flavor is that of cherry and straw with a cacao and bitter orange finish.
Champagne

Description
Butterfly Pea Flower

Light in flavor, but high in color pay out. Butterfly pea flower usually works best as a cold infusion so as to leave any bitterness from the herb into the flower. Can change color from royal purple to a pink when enough acidity is added.
Granny Smith Saccharum

Pure apple flavor with a slight tartness and a balanced sweetness. The Granny Smith apple is chosen for it's freshness and firmness making it easier to maintain color and clarity.
Ginger Syrup

Ginger add spiciness with a floral undertone. The sweetness and the spiciness helps bring flavor to the front of the tongue and carry to the middle-upper palate. A fresh ginger syrup reaps a lot of reward in a cocktail.

Sip on The Grand Budapest Hotel with Two Inspired Cocktails: "Boy With Apple" and "Mendl’s Cake" Bring Art, Intrigue and Romance to Life

In The Grand Budapest Hotel, the story of concierge M. Gustave and his lobby boy Zero unfolds through a series of absurd events, including a heist, an arrest, a jailbreak, and a priceless painting—Boy With Apple—bequeathed to Gustave. Inspired by this painting, the first cocktail, called "Boy With Apple," blends Apple Brandy, Granny Smith Apple Saccharum, infused Butterfly Pea Flowers, ginger syrup, and champagne, offering a taste of the Central European elegance and intrigue seen in the film. The second cocktail, inspired by Mendl’s Cake Courtesan Au Chocolat, mimics the iconic dessert with flavors of peanut butter whiskey, Amarula Citrus Cream Liqueur, lemon juice, and coco bitters, topped with a pink glaze and sea salt. These cocktails pay tribute to the film’s mix of opulent, quirky, and heartwarming themes of love and loyalty, as Zero and Agatha’s romance blossoms amidst the chaos.