Drinks

The drinks of this article come from one of the shorter 007 stories and one of the few books whose title has not been made into an Eon film (as such, there was speculation that this would be the name of Bond23 before Skyfall was announced). The book in question is Risico… Within the first […]

We’ve already covered the signature drink from the latest Bond book, Carte Blanche, but, in true Fleming style, the story is packed full of the finer details on a host of other drinks; some enjoyed by Bond and some by other characters. A few of these drinks are Stolichnaya Martinis; further details on these can […]

May is the month of the Kentucky Derby and so what could be a better choice for this month’s featured James Bond drink, but the Mint Julep? This mix of bourbon, mint and sugar doesn’t actually feature in the books, but it does appear in the film Goldfinger. Traditionally, this is the cocktail of Kentucky […]

Why it doesn’t matter at all that 007 will be seen drinking Heineken in Skyfall. The recent announcement that James Bond would be seen drinking Heineken beer in Skyfall created headlines around the world, with much of the media reporting that was swapping his vodka martinis for beer. In fact, the most likely scenario is […]

I was recently interviewed by Brent Bambury for his radio program “Day 6” on Canada’s CBC Radio 1 following the announcement that James Bond would be seen drinking Heineken beer in Skyfall and much of the media reporting that 007 was ditching vodka martins for beer. Follow the link below to listen to the interview, […]

Heineken is to run a major advertising campaign around Skyfall, including making an appearance in the film according to an article in AdAge: In the movie, Bond will swap his trademark martini for a sip of the brew — at least in one scene. The integration, which will include Bond images on packaging, marks the […]

James Bond is known for his discerning taste in matters of food and drink, but, occasionally, he takes advice from a companion, whether that be M’s thought on wine or a field agent’s opinion of the local hooch. An example of such a drink is The Stinger, which Bond first drinks in Diamonds are Forever.
Bond obviously has a taste for the drink, as, in Thunderball, he orders another one, this time to accompany after-dinner coffee with Leiter at the Nassau Casino. This mix of Brandy and Creme de Menthe is often seen as a good digestif.

I have been putting off writing about the Vodka Martini, the most prominent of Bond’s drinks and a cocktail that gave birth to the most famous bar instruction of all time: “Shaken, not stirred”.

The Vodka Martini is a variation on the original Dry Martini, which, in turn, is descended from the Manhattan. The Martini was originally made with sweet vermouth, but, around the turn of the last century, it became more popular to drink it with dry vermouth. The first reference to the Dry Martini can be found in How To Mix Fancy Drinks from 1903.

Before the Vesper, there was the Americano; this is the first cocktail that James Bond ever orders. He does this at the bar of the Hermitage Hotel whilst he waits for Mathis and Vesper Lynd. When they arrive, Bond orders Mathis a Fine à l’eau and a Bacardi for Vesper.

My second favourite James Bond drink, after the Vesper, would have to be what I call the “James Bond Gin & Tonic” from Fleming’s 1958 book, Dr No. His interpretation of this drink really sets itself apart from your standard G&T.