The 98th annual Academy Awards are on Sunday, and after the coveted Oscars are bestowed upon A-listers, it’ll be time for Hollywood’s biggest stars to eat, drink and celebrate. Let’s explore the menu at the 2026 Governors Ball, the official Oscars after-party.
The food at the 2026 Oscars after-party
Wolfgang Puck Catering, headed by renowned Chef Wolfgang Puck, will once again prepare the Governors Ball feast.
In an interview with California Live’s Laila Muhammad, Puck said that year after year, his goal for the grand, star-studded event is to gather the best possible ingredients.
To that end, Wolfgang Puck Catering said an Instagram post that the kitchen will be helmed by more than 120 chefs cooking 600 pounds of house-smoked salmon, sushi-grade Hamachi, Japanese black cod, sushi-grade ahi tuna, and ora king salmon.
Also on the ingredients list:
More than 352 pounds of Japanese Miyazaki Farms A5 beef wagyu
200 pounds of Nishiki rice
200 pound of dry-aged ribeye
200 pounds of wild mushrooms
200 pounds of Snake River Farms zabuton
30 pounds of Kaluga caviar
2 gallons of 24K liquid gold
Wolfgang Puck Catering said the 2026 Governors Ball menu will include these dishes:
Signature Spicy Tuna Tartare
Mini Wagyu Cheeseburger
Truffle Chicken Pot Pie (a classic favorite over the years)
Crab Chawanmushi
Confit Duck Potstickers
Macaroni and Cheese
Fish and Chips
Puck’s son, Chef Byron Lazaroff-Puck, told California Live that he thinks a dish featuring agnolotti with artichoke and black truffle will be a guest favorite at this year’s Governors Ball.
“We have these amazing black truffles coming in from Perrigo, so I think this is going to be on every single person’s table,” Lazaroff-Puck explained.
For dessert, the sweet treats for the stars will include apple strudel — a family recipe from Puck’s mother — with caramel sauce and marzipan ice cream.
This year, Puck’s ice cream flavors for the Governors Ball include pistachio, hazelnut, vanilla, vegan strawberry sorbet and the standout parmesan ice cream with black truffles.
Puck thinks the hazelnut ice cream might be the favorite among celebrities, but the parmesan ice cream might just be a sweet surprise.
Oscar nominees are set to receive a massive “Everyone Wins” gift bag valued at about $350,000, featuring bucket-list trips, wellness retreats, beauty upgrades, luxury gear and a few surprise extras.
The chef and his team have also been busy making 3,000 chocolate replicas of the Oscar statue, each one covered in edible, 24-carat gold. Every after-party guest will go home with one of those.
When California Live asked Puck about getting the timing in the kitchen just right at the event, the chef said his crew will be closely listening to the award category announcements.
When they hear the award for “Best Director” being presented, it’s showtime.
“[That’s when we’ll say] ‘Let’s get everything ready, let’s get the Chicken Pot Pie in the oven.’ 15 minutes later, they come out,” Puck explained.
Tequila Don JulioTequila Don Julio
Tequila Don Julio will lead the cocktail program at the 2026 Oscars after-party with some signature drinks, including “Best in Show” and “The Sequel.”
The cocktails at the Oscars after-party
As far as cocktails go, Tequila Don Julio has been tapped for the ninth year to create the drinks for the Governors Ball.
The brand’s cocktail program for the special event will be helmed by mixologist Charles Joly and Lorenzo Antinori, co-founder of the acclaimed, Hong Kong-based Bar Leone — crowned the No. 1 bar in the world in 2025.
These signature drinks are on Joly and Antinori’s cocktail menu:
Best in Show: This drink mixes Tequila Don Julio Blanco with Italian Aperitif, dry vermouth, a dash of elderflower liqueur, cucumber syrup, fresh lime juice, and sparkling water in a highball glass with ice, rimmed with Mexican salt, and garnished with a long cucumber slice.
The Sequel: This drink mixes Tequila Don Julio 1942 with Oaxacan coffee cold brew, Piloncillo Cinnamon Cacao Syrup, sale water, and three dashes of vanilla bitters, shaken with ice and strained into a coupe glass finished with gold vanilla edible paint.
There’s also the Golden Cut Margarita made with Tequila Don Julio Reposado and the Maestro Martini made with Tequila Don Julio 70 Añejo Cristalino.
“This year’s cocktail program calls for enough espresso beans to fill a hot tub, enough cucumbers to stretch the length of the Santa Monica Pier, and enough agave to equal the weight of an elephant,” a press release from Tequila Don Julio said. “The result is a tightly edited menu that spans bright opening acts, refined lead performances, and indulgent final scenes — each highlighting a different expression from the Tequila Don Julio portfolio.”
“The Governors Ball is where every detail matters,” Joly added.
Award-winning Bar Director from Bar Next Door, Brynn Smith, stops by the California Live Studios to show Jessica Vilchis some classic cocktails to serve at her Oscars Watch Party for this Sunday’s awards show.