As the Norwegian film Sentimental Value earns its Oscar nomination for Best Picture, we mix up a cocktail that reflects the film’s quiet exploration of memory, inheritance, and the complicated generational weight that carries on. Much like the story itself, this drink centers on something familiar but viewed through a deeply personal lens. For this tribute, we replace the gin in a Negroni with aquavit, the distinctive Scandinavian spirit infused with caraway, dill, and herbal botanicals. This small but meaningful shift transforms the cocktail, giving it a northern character that feels rooted in heritage and place. Just as Sentimental Value asks us to reconsider the meaning of the things we inherit, this cocktail invites a similar reflection. It’s something deeply comforting, reinterpreted with a spirit that carries its own sense of history.
What Oscar Nominations Did Sentimental Value Receive?
Meet Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), the two sisters in Sentimental Value who reunite with their estranged father, Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård) after the death of their mother. Hoping to reconnect and revive his career, Gustav asks Nora, a stage actress, to star in a deeply personal film inspired by their family’s past. When she refuses, he casts a young Hollywood star Rachel (Elle Fanning) instead, forcing the sisters to confront long-buried resentment, grief, and the ways art can both reopen and heal old wounds. This film gets multiple nods at the Oscars for Actor in a Leading Role (Stellan Skarsgård), Actress in a Leading Role (Renate Reinsve), two for Actress in a Supporting Role (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas and Elle Fanning), Directing (Joachim Trier), Film Editing (Olivier Bugge Coutté), International Feature Film, Writing Original Screenplay (Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier), as well as Best Picture.
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Aquavit Norski Negroni for Sentimental Value
Description
Nostalgic yet deeply personal thanks to the aquavit.
Instructions
- Fill a mixing glass with ice.
- Add aquavit, Campari, and sweet vermouth.
- Stir for 20–25 seconds until chilled and properly diluted.
- Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube.
- Express lemon twist and garnish.
Recipe, Styling, and Photography by Kylie Thomas
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