DrinkedIn Trends

While last night at the pub was as enjoyable as always, I didn’t drink anything worth writing about. However, while reminiscing about the Martini night, my friends and I got to talking about drinks made famous through films, or other forms of popular culture.

As mentioned in my post about Martinis, a couple of variations were made famous by James Bond. First there was the Vesper in Casino Royale and then the Vodka Martini (shaken of course) in virtually every other Bond film/book. Apart from that we couldn’t think of any other drinks made famous by Bond, but there was of course one of the most tragic moments in cinema history in Skyfall. The film’s villain Silva (played by Javier Bardem) destroys a bottle of Macallan 1962 Fine and Rare Vintage. Such a waste.

Moving on from Bond, the most obvious drink we thought of featuring in films was the White Russian. In The Big Lebowski the character The Dude is seen drinking or making White Russians throughout almost the entire film.

The White Russian is a fairly straightforward cocktail, it’s 2 parts vodka, 1 part Kahlua, mixed with milk and served over ice in a lowball glass. I haven’t had a White Russian in a very long time, but I remember it as a very smooth cocktail, curtesy of the milk. The Dude seems to be able to make them pretty much wherever he is in the film, so I suggest following his example and making one of these for yourself.

The next drink we came up with is one that none of us have ever tried. In the Blues Brothers Jake’s parole office orders three Orange Whips while he attends the band’s fund raising concert. After the film’s release the cocktail apparently underwent a huge revival and is still popular more than twenty years later.

Russia has for the most part being spared from the economic crisis that has hit most of the western world, so it's a great place to head off to if you want to do some business. The only snag is that you better be able to hold your vodka if you want to get anywhere.

Crisis, what crisis?

The economy and the world banks may be on their knees in the western world, but Russia is enjoying a steady period of growth by comparison. The wild west style days of the early 90s are long gone and Russia, and Moscow in particular, is a place focussed on moving forward as quickly as possible.

Russia is then an increasingly prosperous and dynamic country where communism is now nothing but a distant memory, but some old traditions definitely die hard. If you head there looking to do business, you really better work on more than just your negotiating techniques before you get here. If you can't handle your drink, you may as well not bother getting on the plane.

The White Russian cocktail is one of those rare cocktail recipes that everyone, from the seasoned cocktail connoisseur to the beer guzzling jock, seems to enjoy. A concoction of vodka, coffee liqueur and cream (or sometimes milk, or half & half) the White Russian cocktail was essentially a variation from the classic Black Russian cocktail, which first appeared in the late 1940s. Neither drink originated in Russia but was so named due to the Russian connection of its principal ingredient, vodka. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the White Russian was first documented in the Oakland Tribune in November 1965. This is believed to be the first published instance of the drink.

The widespread popularity of the White Russian cocktail has stemmed from the fact that it is a relatively simple cocktail to prepare, ideal for cocktail novices, plus its smooth, creamy taste has given it universal appeal, both for young and old cocktail drinkers alike (not forgetting the fact that the taste of the drink perfectly masks what is quite a potent mix). The popularity of the White Russian cocktail received a major boost in the late 90s with the arrival of the movie “The Big Lebowski” which heralded “The Dude” character, played by Jeff Bridges, who quickly achieved a cult fan-base as a new kind of cult, slacker, anti-hero. “The Dude” enjoyed bowling, marijuana and a White Russian cocktail, which he also referred to as a “Caucasian”.

Below shows you the ingredients and how to make the White Russian cocktail:

Cocktail Ingredients