It’s Hollywood’s biggest night – the 97th annual Academy Awards. Some of the most recognizable stars and film talent will head to the Dolby Theatre to celebrate 2024’s top features. And after all the statues are handed out and the speeches are completed (or played off prematurely for time), everyone will move to what many consider the real main event: the after parties.
Wondering what an evening celebrating in Hollywood looks like? We’ll take you inside the official post-Oscars celebration, the Governors Ball, so you can see for yourself.
What is the Governors Ball?
While there is no shortage of post-Oscars events and places to be, there’s only one event hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences itself: the Governors Ball.
The Governors Ball launches its 31st celebration in 2025. It takes place in the Ray Dolby Ballroom, located on the top level of Ovation Hollywood (aka, above the theatre where the awards ceremony takes place). That makes it a convenient place for celebs to stop by for a drink and a bite while waiting to get their Oscar statue engraved. (Or waiting for enough traffic to clear up to make it to a second location.)
Inside the Governors Ball, the Academy brings in some of the biggest names in food and spirits to serve up delights for guests. This year’s event features brands like Tequila Don Julio, Champagne Lallier, and Wolfgang Puck Catering. Get a peek at what the stars are eating and drinking below.
Champagne Lallier
New to the Oscars, this year’s official bubbly is Champagne Lallier. Founded in 1906 in Aÿ, one of the few villages classified as ‘Grand Cru,’ the brand “embodies a legacy of craftsmanship and fresh perspectives that mirror the artistry celebrated at the Oscars.”
Lallier Réflexion R.019 Brut Champagne
Tequila Don Julio
A returning partner of the Governors Ball, Tequila Don Julio will bring a number of their high-end spirits to this year’s event. At the bar, you’ll find Don Julio Blanco ($44.99), Reposado ($54.99), Alma Miel ($99.99), and Don Julio 1942 ($189.99).
To celebrate the Academy Awards, Tequila Don Julio worked with award-winning mixologist Charles Joly and Mexico’s Handshake Speakeasy (Winner of 2024’s World’s Best Bar) to craft four signature cocktails (plus one non-alcoholic mocktail!) for the Governors Ball. Here’s what’s on the special menu:
Golden Age Gimlet
Olive-oil infused Tequila Don Julio Blanco, green apple cordial, rosemary-infused Lillet Blanc, simple syrup
The Clear Winner
Tequila Don Julio Reposado, fresh lime juice, fresh grapefruit juice, tamarind syrup, Flor de Jamaica tea
Standing Ovation
Tequila Don Julio Alma Miel, espresso, Crémant de Limoux fig syrup, smoked salt water
The Class Act
Mint-infused Tequila Don Julio 1942, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, milk
The Thespian (Non-alcoholic)
Seedlip Notas de Agave, Seedlip Garden 108, fresh lime juice, mango syrup
Clarendelle & Domaine Clarence Dillon Wines
When it comes to wine, Clarendelle & Domaine Clarence Dillon will serve Oscars guests for the third year running. Created in 2005 by Prince Robert of Luxembourg, the Clarendelle family of wines “embody the subtle balance between know-how and a resolutely contemporary expression of the French art de vivre.”
The pours for the 31st annual Governors Ball include:
Clarendelle Bordeaux Blanc 2023
Clarendelle Bordeaux Rose 2022
Le Clarence de Haut-Brion 2015
Clarendelle Amberwine 2021
Dassai Sake
Dassai is another first-time Oscars partner. In fact, the brand is the first-ever official sake at the Academy Awards. The Hyde Park-based company will serve up Blue 23, its flagship sake, which “emphasizes the natural qualities of water of the Hudson Valley, creating a deeply satisfying sake that’s distinctly New York.”
Dassai Blue 23
Wolfgang Puck Catering
Food at the Governors Ball comes from Wolfgang Puck Catering. The famed chef is known for crafting elevated, innovative cuisine and refined service. He helms a number of Los Angeles’ top restaurants, including Spago and CUT. Other Wolfgang Puck establishments are found around the world, including restaurants in New York, London, Singapore, Budapest, and Saudi Arabia.
So, what’s on the menu? On the savory side, guests can dine on individual chicken pot pies (a favorite of Barbra Streisand, according to Puck himself), beef wellington, cacio e pepe macaroni and cheese, smoked salmon matzo (in the shape of an Oscar statue, naturally), duck sausage and calabrian chili wood fired pizza, and tuna tartare with caviar, served in mini sesame miso cones — just to name a few standouts.
For those ready to indulge their sweet tooth, treats big and small await. Puck’s team provide confectionaries and pastries in spades, including full-size edible Oscar statuettes, made with Noire Reserve Dark Chocolate, Bahibe 46% Milk Chocolate, and yuzu and strawberry, sprayed golden on order. Patisserie includes champagne tarts with lychee and raspberry, and bourbon and caramelized pecan Paris-Brest. Guests can also pick up Don Julio-infused chocolate cigars, which feature a popcorn tip dipped in liquid nitrogen just before serving; the flash-freeze creates a vapor that makes the cigar appear to be smoking.
