Books turn spotlight on Hollywood's famous on-screen drinks

From James Bond to Jeffrey "the Dude" Lebowski — there are plenty of pop culture characters with signature cocktails. Some are even particular about the preparation. Would anybody offer Daniel Craig a martini that had been stirred?

Two new books explore some of the iconic drinks — and drinkers — from books, TV and movies. We spoke to CBC pop culture columnist Tara McCarthy about Will Francis and Stacey Marsh's Cocktails of the Movies and Scott M. Deitche's Cocktail Noir.

How deeply are booze and pop culture intertwined? 

Drinks have featured in films and television for decades and in literature for centuries. In films and TV, I'm sure we can all conjure up images of a protagonist drowning their sorrows, or celebrating, by ordering another cocktail. In literature, booze has often been referenced on the page, and just as often used by the pen — authors of the beat generation were especially known to enjoy a libation or two.

Many vintage cocktails have made a comeback as the mixology movement has gained traction, with bars offering far more than a simple gin and tonic. Cocktail culture has been revitalized thanks in part to shows such as Mad Men, where Don Draper was often seen downing an old fashioned. 

How does this connection come to life in Cocktails of the Movies? 

The book offers an alphabetical list of on-screen concoctions, from scenes both memorable and forgettable. Francis and Marsh came up with the idea while — you guessed it — watching a movie.

Francis' theory is that cocktails are a "style cue," the way costumes are, to tell you who a character is.

In his book, each of the 64 drinks features on a two-page spread, which includes the cocktail recipe, a bit of history, and how it appears in the selected film. The illustrations are realistic drawings of the characters who consume the drinks.

Of course, you couldn't have a book about booze on the big screen without including James Bond. Sure enough, there's Daniel Craig and the vodka "Vesper" martini he ordered in Casino Royale. There's also Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine in Casablanca with the recipe for a French 75 — gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup and champagne. And Marilyn Monroe's Sugar Kane from Some Like it Hot had a penchant for Manhattans — bourbon, sweet vermouth and bitters.

There's also a Mississippi Punch from Breakfast at Tiffany's, an Orange Whip from The Blues Brothers, Turquoise Blue from Cocktail and a White Russian from The Big Lebowski.

How about Cocktail Noir — what approach does that book take? 

This book digs into the connection between cocktails and crime, with recipes to boot. Specifically, it looks at the gangsters (both fictional and real) who loved their libations.

Author Scott Deitche, who has written a few books about the Mafia lifestyle, delves into prohibition, mob authors and their cocktails of choice and America's infamous gangster bars.

Cocktail Noir profiles real-life mobsters such as Al Capone, who loved a Manhattan made with Templeton, his favourite rye. It also explores Frank Sinatra's love of whiskey. There's also a section devoted to drinks on the silver — or, noir — screen.

Any surprising or unusual drinks in either of these books?

There are lots of popular martinis and daiquiris featured, but also some drinks that aren't exactly household names.

I had no idea that cable network HBO worked with a bourbon manufacturer to develop signature cocktails inspired by the show Boardwalk Empire, such as Lucky's Manhattan — named for mobster Charles "Lucky" Luciano.

Cocktails of the Movies even includes something nobody's ever actually tasted — the fictional Moloko Plus, from A Clockwork Orange. Neither Stanley Kubrick's film nor Anthony Burgess's original novel specify the actual ingredients (beyond milk), but Cocktails of the Movies has a concoction to try. Not to worry, though, they left out the hallucinogenic drugs!