Vodka Martinis

Monza860

I have never read a book, just a movie fan here but what is the reason Bond drinks vodka martinis instead of gin martinis? I would think that since gin is a British made drink, well that's what he would drink since he's a brit.

Mr Beech

So I don't know much about this, but his signature drink contains gin and vodka.

Monza860

Well, besides the vesper

Le Samourai

In the novels, Bond often had real (aka gin) martinis. The real reason for the whole vodka martini thing in the films is the large amounts of money Smirnoff was willing to pay for product placement in the early films. It sort of stuck after that.

CmdrAtticus

Fleming's Bond is actually a whiskey man. Here are some stats:

Bond is famous for ordering his vodka martinis "shaken, not stirred." In the novel Moonraker, he drinks a shot of vodka straight, served with a pinch of black pepper, a habit he picked up working in the Baltic region. He also drinks and enjoys gin martinis, champagne, and bourbon. In total, Bond consumes 317 drinks in the novels, of which 101 are whisky, 35 sakes, 30 glasses of champagne and a mere 19 vodka martinis. This is an average of one drink every seven pages.

Alec 006

-{ Grammar Alert -{

Whisky or whiskey. Bourbon and Irish are with an "e", Scotch without.
Also Monza, there shouldn't be an apostrophe in your title.

Ah I feel better now. Thanks for that. )

-{ -{ -{ -{ -{ I have still only managed five in one night.

77007

Yeah skip the martini and go with whiskey. That's how Dalton got all that hair on his chest.

Monza860

interesting to hear, thanks for the info

Le Samourai

I always found it interesting that Bond's taste in spirits is decidedly not English. Martinis--gin or vodka--are very American drinks. And Bond prefers bourbon to Scotch (as do I!). Not only that, he drinks his bourbon on the rocks. He obviously doesn't have the classic British aversion to ice.

The Domino Effect

Fleming was a very big fan of martinis and like most authors, his character has much in common with himself. Many of Bond's preferences were Fleming's preferences and that certainly extended to his choice of tipple. As for the drinks being American or British, I don't think that was ever a concern of Fleming either for himself or his character. Fleming, like Bond, was quitessentially English but their tastes often strayed to the exotic and the U.S., in the immediate post-war period, was decidedly exotic.

thesecretagent

I think enough alcohol has been highlighted to understand that Bond had more than a mere drink problem... )

CmdrAtticus

Having smoked for twenty years (and finally gave it up over twenty years ago, thank heavens), and having associated with smokers - along with being a Bond/Fleming fan, I can say from experience that Bond and Flemings drinking went hand in hand with the tobacco. It is no coincidence that the more one smokes the more liquor one partakes (as well as coffee). Back in the days of smoke filled bars and club rooms awash with liquid spirits, men like Bond and Fleming enjoyed the combo for some very basic reasons. Smoking always dries out the mouth and throat, and drinking helped keep that from becoming unbearable. Also, because both are plant based drugs that contain chemicals that are toxic to the body (liver, lungs heart, in fact - every cell), for some reason they taste well together (as does coffee). For proof, ask any smoker what a cigarette tastes like with a glass of milk or orange juice (liquids actually beneficial to one's health). Yuck is a diplomatic response, to say the list. That's why I did not like cocktails that were mostly fruit juice sugar laden drinks with alcohol thrown in to make them more adult. Even sweet wines never seem to go that well with tobacco, unlike the drier and heavier tasting versions. Those sweet cocktails also seem to appeal to most women in general, who for some reason (biology, genetics?) don't seem to enjoy harder liquors (they would sip a straight bourbon or scotch and always pull a sour face) and tend to prefer the liquor/candy tasting varieties (or of course beer, which isn't sweet but doesn't have the kick in the senses that harder liquors have). Of course, there are women who do enjoy a good single malt, but I've only met two in my life and they were more like Pussy Galores in nature that Tilly Mastersons. Getting back to my point, men who drink tend to smoke and visa versa, and the more they drink the more they smoke. They are drugs, and if a man is addicted to tobacco and burns up between one or more packs a day, he'll probably have more than just a cocktail before dinner! So yes, Bond and Fleming were addicts (which is why Fleming died in middle age and Bond probably would not lived long enough to have gotten a lot of wrinkles - even if he had not been killed by a bullet).

Lexi

Le Samourai wrote:

I always found it interesting that Bond's taste in spirits is decidedly not English. Martinis--gin or vodka--are very American drinks. And Bond prefers bourbon to Scotch (as do I!). Not only that, he drinks his bourbon on the rocks. He obviously doesn't have the classic British aversion to ice.

Well for me personally, if I'm enjoying a single malt - then I don't want to water it down (by adding ice...) and the flavours can be tasted much clearer, when it's room temp - a bit like brandy.

However, on a warm summer's evening, then I do like a scotch rocks. (Or a blended whiskey, I'm not picky ) ) It's even nicer with a splash of ginger wine

-{

Lexi

CmdrAtticus wrote:

Those sweet cocktails also seem to appeal to most women in general, who for some reason (biology, genetics?) don't seem to enjoy harder liquors (they would sip a straight bourbon or scotch and always pull a sour face) and tend to prefer the liquor/candy tasting varieties (or of course beer, which isn't sweet but doesn't have the kick in the senses that harder liquors have).

I prefer a vodka martini (with olives) to a cosmopolitan, but if a cosmo is the only thing on offer, then I won't say no!

Not too keen on sweet drinks myself.... I prefer a drier white - and you can't beat a cold pint on a hot day!

CmdrAtticus wrote:

Of course, there are women who do enjoy a good single malt, but I've only met two in my life and they were more like Pussy Galores in nature that Tilly Mastersons.

Love a single malt :x .... although I would say I'm more Tilly Masterson, than Pussy Galore )

Higgins

Le Samourai wrote:

I always found it interesting that Bond's taste in spirits is decidedly not English. Martinis--gin or vodka--are very American drinks. And Bond prefers bourbon to Scotch (as do I!). Not only that, he drinks his bourbon on the rocks. He obviously doesn't have the classic British aversion to ice.

I love a good Single Malt there and then, but I never put water of any kind into them - particularly in the cask strength ones.

However, I am in the camp of those, who say, that a Bourbon MUST be added with something else (water, ice, Coke, Orange) to make it reasonably enjoyable

Higgins

Lexi wrote:

I would say I'm more Tilly Masterson, than Pussy Galore )

...and we are all glad about it :x

ke02eww

Bondtoys wrote:

Lexi wrote:

I would say I'm more Tilly Masterson, than Pussy Galore )

...and we are all glad about it :x

8-)

ke02eww

Lexi wrote:

Le Samourai wrote:

I always found it interesting that Bond's taste in spirits is decidedly not English. Martinis--gin or vodka--are very American drinks. And Bond prefers bourbon to Scotch (as do I!). Not only that, he drinks his bourbon on the rocks. He obviously doesn't have the classic British aversion to ice.

Well for me personally, if I'm enjoying a single malt - then I don't want to water it down (by adding ice...) and the flavours can be tasted much clearer, when it's room temp - a bit like brandy.

However, on a warm summer's evening, then I do like a scotch rocks. (Or a blended whiskey, I'm not picky ) ) It's even nicer with a splash of ginger wine

-{

Agree on not watering down single malts lex, and i guess ur right about the clarity of taste...

But I always prefer brandy and cognac with two ice cubes ......

It heightens the flavour.... The warmth of the liqour against the cold of the ice, like water and electricity..... Always guarantees a spark...

CmdrAtticus

Lexi wrote:

CmdrAtticus wrote:

Those sweet cocktails also seem to appeal to most women in general, who for some reason (biology, genetics?) don't seem to enjoy harder liquors (they would sip a straight bourbon or scotch and always pull a sour face) and tend to prefer the liquor/candy tasting varieties (or of course beer, which isn't sweet but doesn't have the kick in the senses that harder liquors have).

I prefer a vodka martini (with olives) to a cosmopolitan, but if a cosmo is the only thing on offer, then I won't say no!

Not too keen on sweet drinks myself.... I prefer a drier white - and you can't beat a cold pint on a hot day!

CmdrAtticus wrote:

Of course, there are women who do enjoy a good single malt, but I've only met two in my life and they were more like Pussy Galores in nature that Tilly Mastersons.

Love a single malt :x .... although I would say I'm more Tilly Masterson, than Pussy Galore )

Have any malt label preferences? Glenmorangie, McClelland's, Glenlivet, Knockando, Glenfiddich? Which vodka due you prefer? Since not being keen on the sweet drinks, do you smoke or used to smoke?

Sir Miles

Bondtoys wrote:

Lexi wrote:

I would say I'm more Tilly Masterson, than Pussy Galore )

...and we are all glad about it :x

You speak for yourself, Markus )

Sir Miles

ke02eww wrote:

Agree on not watering down single malts lex, and i guess ur right about the clarity of taste...

But I always prefer brandy and cognac with two ice cubes ......

It heightens the flavour.... The warmth of the liqour against the cold of the ice, like water and electricity..... Always guarantees a spark...

I'd be happier to pour the lot down the sink ! )

I really don't like spirits much...vodka is okay...but I'd rather have a beer

ke02eww

Sir Miles wrote:

ke02eww wrote:

Agree on not watering down single malts lex, and i guess ur right about the clarity of taste...

But I always prefer brandy and cognac with two ice cubes ......

It heightens the flavour.... The warmth of the liqour against the cold of the ice, like water and electricity..... Always guarantees a spark...

I'd be happier to pour the lot down the sink ! )

I really don't like spirits much...vodka is okay...but I'd rather have a beer

Sacrilege ......

Le Samourai

Sir Miles wrote:

ke02eww wrote:

Agree on not watering down single malts lex, and i guess ur right about the clarity of taste...

But I always prefer brandy and cognac with two ice cubes ......

It heightens the flavour.... The warmth of the liqour against the cold of the ice, like water and electricity..... Always guarantees a spark...

I'd be happier to pour the lot down the sink ! )

I really don't like spirits much...vodka is okay...but I'd rather have a beer

Except for whiskey, gin, vodka, and rum, I'm not much into spirits either. B-)

Mr Beech

I like this thread

Monza860

I drink just about everything, not big on red or white wine and Tequila. I love Champagne, drink the occasional beer, but most of the time go straight for the hard liquor.

pyrat

thesecretagent wrote:

I think enough alcohol has been highlighted to understand that Bond had more than a mere drink problem... )

What drinking problem??? I drink. I get drunk. I fall down. No problem... -{ -{ -{ )

The books certainly do present the different perception of drinking that was the prevalent at the time. You know, before everything went PC...

0073

Lexi wrote:

I prefer a vodka martini (with olives) to a cosmopolitan, but if a cosmo is the only thing on offer, then I won't say no!

Not too keen on sweet drinks myself.... I prefer a drier white - and you can't beat a cold pint on a hot day!

Love a single malt :x .... although I would say I'm more Tilly Masterson, than Pussy Galore )

My kind a gal!

For hot summer day on the rocks, nothing can beat Kilchoman 2011 release, it's one of those fashionable 3-4 yrs old single malts.

Lexi

CmdrAtticus wrote:

Have any malt label preferences? Glenmorangie, McClelland's, Glenlivet, Knockando, Glenfiddich? Which vodka due you prefer? Since not being keen on the sweet drinks, do you smoke or used to smoke?

Yes, I like Glenmorangie.... as well as both Glenlivet and Glenfiddich. Not to mention Highland Park and Laphroaig

For a blended one, I enjoy Jonny Walker red label.... but I'm not fussy...Famous Grouse will do )

Vodka, well, if it's in a martini, then it's Stolli.... but I am a fan of Absolute Vodka too, although purists wouldn't agree. However, I was once spoilt when I spent an evening in the company of some Russian colleagues - and we drank the proper stuff... neat. It was one of those experiences I will never forget... and the best tasting vodka ever. -{

I would never say I smoked on a regular basis.... I'm one of those annoying people who can enjoy a cigarette here and there, however, it's been over 2 years now since I've smoked.

0073

Lexi wrote:

Vodka, well, if it's in a martini, then it's Stolli.... but I am a fan of Absolute Vodka too, although purists wouldn't agree.....

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...........................................!!!!!!!!!!!

Say no to Absolute!

I agree with you on the Stolichnaja, one of the better tasting vodkas neat, on the rocks or in a martini. IMHO has a very balanced taste. When compared to some other vodkas like Ruski Standard Platinum, which in my opinion is too subtle or Absolute, too medicinal, Stoli shines over them all!

But, yes all those obscure Polish and Russian small brand vodkas, that is The Way of The Vodka.

Le Samourai

0073 wrote:

Lexi wrote:

Vodka, well, if it's in a martini, then it's Stolli.... but I am a fan of Absolute Vodka too, although purists wouldn't agree.....

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...........................................!!!!!!!!!!!

Say no to Absolute!

I agree with you on the Stolichnaja, one of the better tasting vodkas neat, on the rocks or in a martini. IMHO has a very balanced taste. When compared to some other vodkas like Ruski Standard Platinum, which in my opinion is too subtle or Absolute, too medicinal, Stoli shines over them all!

But, yes all those obscure Polish and Russian small brand vodkas, that is The Way of The Vodka.

I have to agree with 0073 here. Stoli is great, but I find Absolut rather flat tasting. In general, I prefer Polish vodkas. My current choice is Sobieski, which is not only delicious, but very reasonably priced as well.

0073

Yes!

I remember my youthfull days when I worked for a marketing consulting company, we did a number for the Finnish alcohol monopoly company on polish vodka.
Had to have a drink or two in the proces.... )

My favourites being Zrodlana and Sobieski. I did get a kick 8-) out of drinkng Luksusowa because it is a potato spirit, but being honest I didn't like it quite as much.