Pop culture is many things, but “just” reading a book or “just” watching a movie isn’t one of them. All true geeks will back me up here: if you are a fan, you want to experience your “thing” in more than one way. So today, I will tell you what to drink if you want to connect to your favourite heroes on a beverage level.
1. Tea from Alice in Wonderland
“It’s always tea time” according to Mad Hatter. So if it’s six o’clock in your world too, grab a cup and believe in as many as six impossible things before breakfast.
2. Coffee from Friends and Gilmore Girls
You could say coffee is one of the leads in both of these series. It’s a life force locked in a cup. Yes, I am a coffee addict too.
3. Belgian Hot Chocolate from Agatha Christie’s crime stories with Hercule Poirot
Hercule Poirot’s drink of choice may be a simple and down-to-earth one, but who wouldn’t enjoy a cup of Belgian hot chocolate after a long day of solving mysteries?
4. Butterbeer from Harry Potter saga
So far, I’ve drunk butterbeer in three different places and, even though each of the beverages was different, they were all a huge disappointment. But I still refuse to accept that butterbeer is a julep with bubbles.
5. Cleansing Smoothie from Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Cleanse your body temple for Satan (or False God, I’m not judging) with Hilda’s smoothie. Need a more sophisticated taste? Enrich it with eyeballs.
6. Blue Milk from Star Wars saga
This beverage, also known as Bantha milk, doesn’t seem to provide any extra effects and according to Mark Hamill, it tastes “ghastly”. That kinda explains why he spilt it all over himself instead of just drinking it…
7. Nuka-Cola from Fallout games
Post-Apocalyptic Coca Cola not only quenches your thirst but also gives you XP and bottle caps are the local currency. How awesome is that?
8. Ent-draught from The Lord of the Rings trilogy
If your biggest complex is a Hobbit’s height, you might wanna try the water from Ents’ spring. Just make sure you’re not too hasty.
9. Getafix’s magic potion from Asterix and Obelix comics
This drink can help you prepare for battle, as well as for an especially long and exhausting day at work. Definitely worth a try if you work with Italians 😉
10. Wine from Game of Thrones
I don’t really need to recommend a wine to you, ‘cos it sells itself. Fermented grape juice is hugely enjoyed in most of the realms, including Westeros. You can ask Tyrion Lannister.
11. Chianti from Silence of the Lambs
Chianti is the type of wine recommended to accompany any exquisite dish, but especially liver with fava beans. Hannibal Lecter was many things, but you can always count on his flawless taste in wines.
12. Raspberry Cordial from Anne of Green Gables
Raspberry Cordial is an innocent non-alcoholic syrup, but if your luck is as crooked as Anne’s, you can very well serve your guests some currant wine instead. And those homemade wines can be really tricky!
13. Sweet Vermouth on the rocks with a twist from Groundhog Day
It always makes me think of Rome… Well, not really. But if I had to pick one drink to have over and over again, it might just be this one. However, I’d replace red vermouth with the rose version.
14. Vesper Martini (shaken not stirred) from James Bond series
James Bond gets Vesper as his drink of choice in “Casino Royale”. What’s really unfortunate is that you can no longer enjoy it yourself: Kina Lillet has been discontinued since 1986, and the proof of Gordon’s Gin was cut in 1992.
15. House of Lords Martini from Breakfast of Champions
You can start your day with a bowl of cereal or Breakfast of Champions a.k.a. martini. I’m not sure how your employer would look at that, but well, if you wanna be a champion, act like one.
16. White Angel from Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Now, if you’d rather take your breakfast in a jewellery store, White Angel could become your drink of choice. I’m not sure what happened to a good old breakfast Mimosa, but “half vodka, half gin, no vermouth” sounds like a valid option too.
17. French 75 from Casablanca
This drink was named after the French Army’s 75mm field gun used in the Great War and became quite popular thanks to Humphrey Bogart’s bar in Casablanca. Play it again, Sam!
18. Midnight Margaritas from Practical Magic
Midnight Margaritas will take your mind off necromancing your ex-boyfriend there and back again. Put the lime in the coconut at the witching hour, flip the switch and let the cauldron bubble!
19. Cosmopolitan from Sex and the City
Some so many bartenders claimed to be the inventors of the timeless Cosmopolitan… However, “oldie but goodie” Cosmo became a blast in the 90s thanks to Carrie Bradshaw and her three friends. So does it really matter who invented it?
20. Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Do you have your towel? Great! Come and grab the Best Drink in Existence, and have your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped around a large gold brick. Then go yodel some mountain shanties.
21. White Russian from The Big Lebowski
If your life goal is to hang out in a comfy bathrobe, you enjoy bowling, and you’re not lactose intolerant, White Russian might be “it” for you. Expect people to call you “Dude”.
22. Orange Whip from The Blues Brothers
Who wouldn’t like to see The Blues Brothers on stage? Jake’s parole officer surely does enjoy the show before the (unsuccessful) arrest. Well, he didn’t see that coming, did he? Anybody wants an orange whip?
23. Black Seagull from The Witcher
This witcher hallucinogenic can give you the state of relaxation you crave so. It will also help you sleep better. But unless you are a witcher, I would recommend sticking with a much gentler White Seagull.
24. Moloko Plus from A Clockwork Orange
The Korova Milk Bar offers a barbiturate spiked milk in three options: prepared with opiates, synthetic mescaline and hallucinogens. Neither of them contains alcohol, so it can be served to minors. Crazy times, the 70s, huh?
25. Singapore Sling with Mescal on the Side from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Compared to Moloko Plus, this is a pretty regular cocktail with a cherry on top. However, when you mix it with mescal… Well, better don’t.
I hope you enjoyed my short pop-culture beverages guide. Back in college, I was moonlighting as a bartender, so some of these drinks sound familiar. But wouldn’t it be fun to try an actual Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster or Nuka-Cola? Which one would you like to try?
PS. If you decide to try them all, I suggest you use a Bacta bath to remove the next day syndrome 😉
