Cocktails with a Curator: Monet's "Vétheuil in Winter"

In this week’s episode of Cocktails with a Curator, Deputy Director and Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator Xavier F. Salomon takes viewers through Claude Monet’s journey as an artist, focusing on Vétheuil in Winter, one of only four Impressionist paintings at The Frick Collection. Monet created this work during a particularly difficult period in his life, which included his wife's passing and the bankruptcy of his biggest patron. For Xavier, this canvas signifies the importance of hope, as Monet persevered and went on to complete some of his greatest works in the wake of these challenges. The wintry landscape is paired with a complementary beverage of mulled wine.

Cocktail Recipe

Mulled Wine
1 (750 ml) bottle red wine
1 navel orange
1/4 cup granulated sugar
5 whole cloves
4 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
2 cardamon pods

Combine the wine, sugar, cloves, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, and peeled orange zest in a large saucepan over very low heat. Heat the mixture until it nearly reaches a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Mocktail

Mulled Apple Cider
1 (750 ml) bottle apple cider
1 navel orange
1/4 cup granulated sugar
5 whole cloves
4 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
2 cardamon pods

Combine the apple cider, sugar, cloves, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, and peeled orange zest in a large saucepan over very low heat. Heat the mixture until it nearly reaches a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.