Will Ferrell’s Eurovision Film + a Brenn & Tonic Cocktail

“Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Sage”
+ a Brenn & Tonic Cocktail

Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams in Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

Words by

Cory Ohlendorf

Photography by

Courtesy

Published

June 26, 2020

I’ll be honest, I don’t really know much about the Eurovision Song Contest. But I think I'm about to get a good idea from this new Netflix original film that starts streaming today. It's the story of Lars (played by Will Ferrell) and Sigrit (Rachel McAdams), childhood friends whose greatest dream is to win the annual music contest and claim glory for their tiny Icelandic hometown. Only ... they're not very good.

Vox calls the film "wild and truly hilarious," and also "the kind of movie you can barely imagine a Hollywood studio executive greenlighting." But that's the whole point of streaming, right? To let such weird gems find their audience. Esquire says the film mixes a bit of European quirk with niche humor, “as if Bjork occasionally showed up in the middle of a standard script writing session to sheepishly announce, 'Please be quiet!' followed by a strange giggle.” And really, doesn't that seem like the kind of two-hour distraction we could all use right about now?

Your Pairing:

This is perfect occasion to grab a bottle of Brennivin. Of what, you ask? Scandinavia's drink of choice is aquavit, the clear spirit generally flavored with caraway and dill. But in Iceland? Your only real choice is Brennivin, which just uses caraway seeds for flavor. It's a lot like gin, but instead of juniper berries, the caraway gives the spirit a nutty, bittersweet sharpness with a peppery citrus finish. Which is why it makes a nice swap for gin in a classic G&T. Just combine 1.5 ounces of Brennivin with four ounces of high-quality tonic water over ice. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and maybe a sprig of rosemary.

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