Two: The Exorcist (1973)

The holiday season, Christmas in this case, is such a lovely time for all. Family, friends, good cheer, and holiday movies to celebrate the season! Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Miracle on 34th St, It’s A Wonderful Life. The list goes on. But nothing quite says “it’s Christmas time” like audiences vomiting, fainting, and having heart attacks while Regan does ungodly acts with a crucifix.

The day after Christmas in 1973, the world was given a true gift: The Exorcist. With audiences flocking to cinema in droves, it was an immediate success. It went on to become the first horror movie nominated for an Academy Award and was later selected to be preserved in the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry.

The filming of this movie, however, was less than ideal for those involved. The director, William Friedkin, did everything short of actually killing his actors on set. To illicit what would appear as the "true fear of facing a demon," Friedkin would randomly fire off a shotgun on set, scaring his actors into "better performances." I cannot think of a singular way that could have gone wrong. Multiple of the actors were also injured so badly from the poorly executed stunts that they still live with the side effects. The performances seen on screen, while breathtakingly horrifying, were a mixture of incredible acting, true fear, and several broken bones.

All injuries aside, there are countless iconic moments throughout the entirety of the movie; with nothing quite as iconic as the infamous vomit scene. We all had an adversity to pea soup after watching Regan vomit all over poor Father Karras’ face, which was an accident. It was supposed to hit his chest. That’s show business, baby. Needless to say, how could I create an Exorcist themed cocktail and leave out the peas?

Due to the overwhelming success of the Harvey Wallbanger, an herbal liqueur by the name of Galliano became one of the most popular liqueurs of the 70s. Taking all of that into consideration, I give you the second of thirteen:

The Head Turner

• 1.5 oz Hendrick’s Gin

• 0.5 oz Galliano

• 0.5 oz Snap Pea & Basil Syrup*

• 0.5 oz Lemon

• 1 Egg White

In a shaker, add Hendrick’s Gin, Snap Pea Syrup, Galliano, Lemon, and Egg White. Dry shake (shake without ice) to froth the Egg White. Re-shake over ice. Double strain into a Couple Glass. Garnish with a Snap Pea.

*To make the Snap Pea and Basil Syrup: Add a 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, 10 cut snap peas and 3-5 leaves of basil to a pot. Bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat and let it stand for 15-30 minutes before straining out the solids.