audiovisual productions they evoke in the viewer the most varied feelings, be it comedy, drama, romance or suspense. And between laughter and crying, references from the gastronomic world also appear on the screens: this is the case of some films and series that put the art of flirtation at dinner.
Immortalized in fiction, a few drinks made a point in major productions and marked the profile of iconic characters, such as James Bond and his Vodka Martini, which in almost all the films asked for his drink, which included vodka and vermouth, always “stirred, not stirred”.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the series “Sex and The City” also marked a generation of determined women, independents and fashionistas who lived their passions and love disappointments between a Cosmopolitan and another.
Below, check out a selection of drinks that appear in some audiovisual productions. And with your favorite cocktail in hand, don’t forget to hit play when you can!
“Suddenly 30”: Piña Colada
In this classic “Afternoon Session” movie, Jennifer Garner plays Jenna Rink, a teenager from the suburb of Nova York who dreams of being 30 years old and living in the Big Apple. After a disastrous party in her basement, she wakes up the next day with her dream fulfilled.
As an adult and working at a fashion magazine, one of the most memorable scenes is when she is at a company party and asks for a Piña Colada. “I’ll have a Piña Colada, not a virgin. Want to see my ID? I totally have her!” says the character.
Original from Puerto Rico, the classic cocktail features rum, coconut milk and pineapple juice shaken with ice. Scenes later, still at the party, the main character appears drinking several piña coladas – after all, she is no longer a teenager.
“Sex and The City”: Cosmopolitan
It all started in June 1998, when the first episode of the series was released, which aired in the United States. During six seasons, the public was able to follow the four main characters (Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte) in their fashionista wanderings and their adventures and love disappointments.
Even when romantic partners were absent, he was always there: the Cosmopolitan. Already a classic, the cocktail combines vodka, cranberry juice, orange liqueur and lemon juice, which can be mixed in a cocktail shaker.
In a way, the name of the drink translates well to Nova York from the show, a bustling city that gathers the most varied urban tribes and has a touch of sophistication. In one of the episodes, Carrie stops at the drive-thru from a diner and even asks for “a cheeseburger, please, a large fries and a cosmopolitan”.
“007”: Vodka Martini
The films in the “007” franchise have beautiful scenarios around the world, beautiful women, many action scenes and, of course, a drink that is the face of the James Bond character: Vodka Martini, variation of the Dry Martini – that instead the gin takes vodka.
The cocktail is still made with dried vermouth and olives. There are several scenes in the films in which the protagonist asks for a drink, often accompanied by the speech that has remained eternal: “shaked, not stirred”.
In the film “007 – Casino Royale”, from 2006 and with Daniel Craig in the main role, another variation: “Three measures by Gordon’s, one of vodka, half by Kina Lillet. Shake with ice and add a thin slice of lemon rind”. Bond called the recipe Hesperus, after the woman he fell in love with in the film.
But, in addition to Vodka Martini, another drink makes a point in one of the films: in “007 – A New Day to Die”, the secret agent watches the character Jinx (Halle Berry) emerge from the sea on a Cuban beach while taking a Mojito. As she approaches, Bond offers the character the cocktail. The classic recipe uses rum, lemon juice, sugar, mint and sparkling water (or soda).
“Will e Grace”: Dirty Martini
Take it from Karen Walker, honey. Martinis make life more fun! 🍸 #NationalMartiniDay pic.twitter.com/zVH2gHPNRv
— Will & Grace (@WillAndGrace) June 19, 2018
The American sitcom, which debuted in 1998, was a huge success and also opened up some open television paths for the LGBT+ community before the mass audience. Besides Will (Eric McCormack) and Grace (Debra Messing), the character Karen Walker (Megan Mullaly) is one of the funniest with her acidic and elitist comments.
Declared lover of alcoholic beverages, it is common to see her in episodes with a Dirty Martini in hand. The cocktail includes gin, dry vermouth, olive brine and green olives. In addition to the combination, she also does not rule out pure drinks: gin, vodka, wine, among others, are some of the character’s companions.
One of his most memorable phrases is: “If you need someone to drink with, I’ll drink with you. If you need a shoulder to cry on, I’ll drink it with you. I think what I’m trying to say is: I love drinking!” Message understood, Karen.
“Mad Men”: Old Fashioned
One of the most acclaimed series by viewers and critics, the American series “Mad Men” aired over seven seasons and follows the daily life of an advertising agency in New York in the 1960s. The protagonist is Don Draper (played by Jon Hamm), a successful publicist.
There are several cocktails that appear between the 92 episodes, such as Manhattan, Whiskey Sour and Bloody Mary, but the most memorable and that marks the main character is the Old Fashioned. Classic, one of the first and most popular cocktails in the cocktail shop, it features bourbon, bitters, sugar and a slice of orange or cherry.
In one of the episodes of the third season, the character Don Draper even jumps the counter of a bar and prepares himself, for a few minutes, two fancy glasses of Old Fashioned – for himself and for the bartender.
“Miami Vice”: Mojito
Adapted from the hit series of the same name from the 1980s, the film released in 2006 follows in the footsteps of detectives Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Richard Tubbs (Jamie Foxx), who investigate drug trafficking in the United States. They are then called into a covert operation to capture a powerful drug dealer who controls Haiti’s business.
After Sonny ends up getting involved with the drug dealer’s right-hand woman, one of the passages is emblematic: he invites her for a few drinks, while when asked what he likes, he says: “I’m a Mojitos fanatic”. She then says that she knows a place: they both take a speedboat from Miami and dock in Havana, Cuba, place that popularized the drink.
In Havana, they appear at La Bodeguita del Medio, a famous bar in the capital that is a tourist attraction and has even hosted writer Ernest Hemingway. In the movie, when asked, Sonny says, “The Mojito is great.” This is not the only occasion that the cocktail appears in the film, there are also other scenes around the Cuban capital where it is present.
And what better place than Cuba to enjoy a real Mojito? Flowered in the Cuban night, the drink uses rum, sugar, lemon, mint and carbonated water (or soda) and was originally molded with Caribbean ingredients.
“Casablanca”: French 75
There are several cocktails that fill the nights at Rick’s bar, a fictional central location in the film “Casablanca”, a 1942 movie classic. The romantic drama takes place in the city of Casablanca, in the Morocco, during World War II, in which an American exile started to manage the nightclub and rediscovered an old passion.
But, perhaps, the most memorable drink of the film is the French 75, whose name refers to the firing of the French 75mm cannon from the First World War.
Categorized as a “contemporary classic” cocktail by the International Bartenders Association, it features gin, champagne, fresh lemon juice and sugar syrup.
“The Warmer the Better”: Manhattan
Put together Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, great music and a gang, and you have the 1959 musical comedy “The Hotter Is Better.” Saxophonist Joe (Tony Curtis) and his friend Jerry (Jack Lemmon) flee Chicago to the Florida after witnessing a mob murder.
They then disguise themselves and join an all-female jazz band. In one of the scenes of the film, Marilyn Monroe, who plays Sugar, has a bottle of bourbon in her hand and asks another character for a bottle of vermouth, as “we can make Manhattans!”
Originally, the cocktail has whiskey, vermouth and bitter.
Reference: CNN Brasil
