Ten famous drinks from film and television

Today, we’re looking at the drinks most associated with ten of our favourite films and television programmes. 

Whether it’s Bond with his Vodka Martini, shaken, not stirred or the Dude with his White Russian, great films have long inspired drinkers and indeed helped shift booze. Which is why we’ve put this list together, this is a drinks retailer after all. 

But as well as the big names from Hollywood, I’ve also picked some great examples from old British films and television. I started a thread about this on Twitter and had dozens of suggestions. Sadly, there isn’t space to get them all in. Let me know of any favourites I have missed. 

Bollinger Champagne in Absolutely Fabulous

There can’t be an episode of Ab Fab where Edwina and Patsy (Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley) aren’t pictured drinking a bottle of Bolly and smoking a fag or two. It’s either than or Stolly, or usually both. In one episode, it even turns out that Patsy (played by Lumley) is in fact living in Oddbins.

Vodka Martini Shaken, not stirred in James Bond

We’ve just done a whole post on Bond drinks but thought we’d include this again anyway as you can’t do a film/ drink round-up without Bond. And ignore all the drinks bores, shake your Martini if you want. It makes it really cold and delicious. Just make sure you use a really good vodka.

White Russian in The Big Lebowski

“Careful man. There’s a beverage here!” Yup, it’s the Dude’s drink of choice in the cult film to end all cult films, the Coen brothers’ The Big Lebowski from 1998. It’s simply a mixture of Kahlua, vodka and cream. Best consumed in your dressing gown while listening to Creedence Clearwater Revival. 

Cosmopolitan in Sex and the City

Definitely a candidate for most ‘90s drink ever – could it be any more nineties? – it’s the Cosmo which combines vodka, triple sec, cranberry and lime juice. It was drunk by Carrie Bradshaw and her friends in Sex and the City. If you want to know more about the Cosmo, there’s a handy history in the link.

Carlsberg in Ice Cold in Alex

A whole film about longing for a cold beer at the end of a hard day’s work. Though rather than labouring away at the coalface of content creation, the protagonists have been slogging through the deserts of North Africa during the Second World War so they really deserve a drink when they reach Alexandria. It contains probably the best beer drinking scene in cinema history when hero John Mills finally gets his Carlsberg – “worth waiting for.” 

Sherry in Frasier

While radio psychiatrist Frasier Crane loves Burgundy and Champagne,  it is sherry that he and his brother Niles knock back above all others. There isn’t a problem that can’t be solved by a snifter of sherry and some up-market badinage. In one episode, Frasier decants a distinctive blue bottle. Yes, the brothers are drinking the king of granny sherries, Harvey’s Bristol Cream. And very nice it is too. 

Caribbean Stallion in Only Fools and Horses

What’s a Caribbean Stallion? I’ll let Del Boy (played by David Jason explain): “What you want is, er, a shot of tequila, and a shot of coconut rum, and one of crème de menff. Then you want a smidgeon, just a smidgeon, of Campari, wiv just the merest suggestion of Angostura bitters. Right, you top that up with fresh grapefruit juice. And you shake it. Do not stir. Pour that slowly over broken ice, garnish wiv a slice of orange, slice of lime, your occasional seasonal fruits, top that off wiv a decorative plastic umbrella, two translucent straws, and wolla!”

Old Fashioned in Mad Men

We could have gone with all manner of drinks from Mad Men like a Dry Martini or a Canadian Club on the rocks but we’re going with the Old Fashioned because of the episode where Don Draper (played by John Hamm) takes his time making one using crushed sugar for hotel magnate Conrad Hilton.

Gin & Tonic in the The Good Life

While poor old Tom and Barbara Good (Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal) had to make do with peapod Burgundy as part of their drive for self-sufficiency, their terribly upmarket neighbours, Margot and Jerry Leadbetters (Penolope Keith and Paul Eddington) got to enjoy Gin & Tonics. There’s a lesson for us all there. 

Chateau Margaux in Withnail and I

Which drink to choose from the most quotable film of all time? The cider with gin chasers, “ice in the cider,” sherry, “sherry?, sherry, sherry? Sherry etc.”, the Port drunk as Withnail and I leave London in the Jag, “the finest wines known to humanity”, the lighter fuel. In the end though, it has to be the The ‘53 Margaux, “best the century” drunk by Withnail as he treats the wolves at London zoo to the finest performance of Hamlet’s soliloquy. 

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