The Story Behind Marilyn Monroe's Apple-Forward Namesake Cocktail

It can be difficult to summarize someone as iconic and storied as Marilyn Monroe into a cocktail, let alone do it in just a few ingredients. However, you can leave it to the mixologists at the Waldorf Astoria hotel to figure it out. The Waldorf Astoria New York is legendary in culinary and cocktail culture, offering decadent dishes you don't see at most restaurants. The bar is home to the Rob Roy cocktail (which isn't the same as a Roy Rogers), and it's a short distance from the film that inspired the Marilyn Monroe cocktail.

In "The Seven Year Itch" (1955), Marilyn Monroe wears her signature white dress and stands over a billowing subway grate. This legendary scene takes place on Lexington Avenue near 52nd Street – merely 4 minutes from the Waldorf Astoria. While that subway grate from the original New York shoot can be visited today, it was actually both a publicity stunt and a failed shoot because the crowd that gathered was too loud for the final cut. Regardless of how things went down on set, nothing stopped the geniuses at the Waldorf Astoria from dedicating a libation in Monroe's honor.

The Waldorf Astoria's Marilyn Monroe cocktail consists of Champagne, apple brandy, and grenadine, which serve as both a flavorful mixture and a poetic dedication. The Champagne base comes from Monroe's fondness for the French sparkling wine, and the apple brandy symbolizes New York City (also known as the Big Apple), where the film took place and the cocktail was conceived. Famous yet misunderstood, grenadine is often mistaken for being cherry-flavored when it's actually pomegranate-based. It's always great for rounding a good cocktail with flavor and color, so perhaps grenadine is emblematic of Monroe's signature red lipstick.

Like many cocktails, several variations have been made for the Marilyn Monroe. The recipe at Leopard's Leap, a South African winery, honors the apple and Champagne ingredients while changing the rest. This version swaps in Chardonnay and apple cinnamon syrup, presents it in margarita format, and teams it with lime juice and white vermouth. The Canadian Earls Kitchen and Bar chain also put its own spin on the Marilyn Monroe by using vanilla vodka, passion fruit, fresh lime, and Prosecco. The resulting beverage is a worthy and fitting dedication, as it retains the bubbly nature of sparkling wine and closely resembles Marilyn's iconic blonde hair.