Erin go bragh, listeners! It’s St. Patrick’s Day weekend, and Alcohollywood (along with guest Jeffrey Gardner of Our Fair City) has decided to buck the trend by talking about a good movie about Irish mythology – the animated film The Secret of Kells! A fictionalized account of the story of the Book of Kells (an illuminated account of the Four Gospels that is an integral part of Irish history and culture), The Secret of Kells utilizes a fascinating animation style that evokes traditional Irish art, and the illustrations of the Book of Kells itself. The result is an intriguing and charming look at Irish mythology, and it’s certainly not to be missed. Luckily, we’ve got a custom cocktail to wash down all that Gaelic, and some drinking rules to guide you through the film’s Irish mysteries!
LISTEN HERE OR DOWNLOAD:
THIS EPISODE’S DRINK: Irish Wolfshark
2 parts Irish Mist
3 parts mead
1 part Cointreau
4 parts whole-leaf lemongrass tea (add cloves and orange zest to leaf mix and steep)
Splash, taffel (i.e. clear akvavit)
Dash, black walnut bitters
Steep tea in hot water with added ingredients for 8-10 minutes; add remaining ingredients and stir. Garnish with orange slices.
DRINKING RULES FOR THE SECRET OF KELLS:
- Whenever a character says “book”
- Every time you see shadowy figures
- Any time characters are framed in animated borders
FINISH YOUR DRINK WHEN:
Brendan says, “You can’t find out everything from books, you know.”
Join us next week as we travel back in time yet again with Terry Gilliam’s dwarfen caper Time Bandits!
I think he would’ve enjoyed Song of the Sea even more, but maybe that’s because I enjoyed Song of the Sea more.
I know the history of the book, so I wasn’t out of the loop, however in the end it was a very dull plot. However the visuals– one of the most inspired works I have seen in a very, very long time.