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The Rolls-Royce of cocktails is a coddling ride for your tastebuds

In our last installment of the irregular and irreverent series on drinks loosely connected to – or named after – automobiles, we sipped a Speedway Cocktail, a drink that was as exciting (and dangerous) as the early Indy 500. This time, we're stirring a Rolls-Royce Cocktail with a silver spoon. And, as always, enjoy cocktails (and reading about them) while you're not behind the wheel. If the rumors we hear are correct, Rolls-Royce will be unveiling an all-new Phantom this summer. The arrival of a flagship Roller isn't quite as rare as the coronation of a new member of the British Royal Family, but is tres recherche nonetheless. Since the nameplate's founding nearly 100 years ago, this will be only the eighth generation of Phantom to be delivered into the greedy hands of the world's vilest oligarchs. If you're one of the .01 percent, this is cause for a drink, and what better cocktail to raise in toast than one named for the brand itself? (For us 99.99 percenters, the answer is easy: Molotov.) As you might expect, the Rolls-Royce cocktail is kind of a classied-up version of an upscale iteration of an already elegant drink, conjugated from the classic (gin) martini and it well-married brother, the Martinez. "It's basically a very wet martini," says Paul Hletko, founder of FEW Spirits, an Evanston, Illinois gin and whiskey distillery acronymically (and winkingly) named for local maven Frances Elizabeth Willard, who helped found the Women's Christian Temperance Union – one of the forces behind Prohibition. "Two-to-one is a fantastic ratio of gin to vermouth that really lets the vermouth shine, and then having that split between dry and sweet vermouths gives you fantastic and rich complexity, with that little bit of Benedictine being that really nice herbal add," Hletko told us. It all sounds intriguingly botanical, and the drink itself has a reputation as being a favorite among bartenders, a coupe brimming with insider insight. "In the history of drinking there are many cocktails made with vermouth and gin," says legendary mixologist Charles Schumann from Schumann's Gastronomie in Munich.

Grey Poupon's Pardon Me Lost Footage ad airs during Oscars

Those of you that took our tip and tuned in for last night's Academy Awards may have caught the latest iteration of the famous Grey Poupon commercials, featuring a pair of Rolls-Royce sedans and their condiment-loving stewards. The update to the 1981 commercial was only shown in part on television, however, as the mustard company directed viewers to its website to see the entirety of the Lost Footage spot. Of course if you didn't bother then, you can just scroll down to see the full-length two-minute commercial here.
As you're viewing, note that the Grey Poupon marketers did not, it would appear, get official sanction from Rolls-Royce this time around. While the Rollers in the commercial have all sorts of James Bond-like accouterments, they don't appear to have the official Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornaments, for example, and they have restyled lights and grilles. Check out the new spot below, and see if it stacks up to the iconic Pardon Me original.

Rolls-Royce bringing one-off Serenity to Geneva

Rolls-Royce is bringing Serenity of the Phantom kind, not the Joss Whedon kind, to the Geneva Motor Show. In case being driven around in 19-feet of extravagance wasn't enough, the firm's Bespoke Design team has stitched together a silk interior inspired by its historic cars, European furniture and Japanese Royal Kimono designs. We're told the result is a "haven of tranquility," as if that weren't the case before. It's also called "the most opulent interior of any luxury car," which makes us think Rolls-Royce won't let us get within 30 feet of it with our half-finished convention hall coffee and ham sandwich. We'll start cleaning up for the privilege now; there's a press release below in the meantime. Show full PR text ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS TO BRING SERENITY TO THE 2015 GENEVA INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW 12.02.2015 -- The Rolls-Royce Motor Cars stand at this year's Geneva International Motor Show will be a haven of tranquility as the celebrated marque brings Serenity to Switzerland. Celebrating the historical role played by silk as a symbol of regal and imperial power, the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Bespoke Design team has created a magnificent one-off motor car which will set a new benchmark for luxury individualisation in the motor industry, and reaffirm that Bespoke is Rolls-Royce. Delivering authentic modern luxury, Serenity will reintroduce the finest of textiles to create the most opulent interior of any luxury car. This unique design demonstrates the levels of craftsmanship, creativity and attention to detail only Rolls-Royce Motor Cars can offer. The marque's Bespoke Design team has taken inspiration from the opulent interiors of Rolls-Royces that have conveyed Kings and Queens, Emperors and Empresses and world leaders throughout history, whilst using contemporary interpretations of European furniture combined with Japanese Royal Kimono designs to deliver a truly innovative, modern and tranquil Rolls-Royce interior. The new benchmark in super-luxury motor cars will be unveiled at a press conference in Hall 6 of the Geneva International Motor Show at 13.30hrs on 3rd March. The car will be on the stand for visitors to admire from 5th to 15th March. Design/Style Geneva Motor Show Rolls-Royce Luxury Sedan rolls-royce phantom