Make It a Double.

As I was catching up on my NYT reading this morning, I came across this fantastic article that pairs drinks with movies, not the exact same as my idea of pairing meals with films, but close enough, and an excellent addition to complete any meal. The article is also great because it was semi-inspired by bourbon drinking Robert Mitchum in Out of the Past as well as the excessive imbibing on the show Mad Men. 

Tangent: I have to tell you, Mad Men now holds a special place in my heart because I worked with (Mass native, holla!) Robert Morse last week, otherwise known as Bert Cooper, the older partner in Sterling-Cooper who is very into Japanese culture. I'll just say, Robert Morse is quite a character -- more so than the ones he plays -- and (yes, I'm making a TCM plug) if you catch TCM the night of June 29, you'll see just how energetic he is. 

Anyhow, back to the article: I love how Wendell Jamieson focuses on the classics -- not only films but drinks, too. I'm not big into hard liquor since my constitution just can't handle it all that well, and while I appreciate the thought that goes into a lot of these drinks and the mixology that has grown in recent years, I really appreciate the simplicity that makes certain drinks classics. For instance, a martini has so many variations, yet, the 007 style has such a sex appeal to it (which might also have something to do with Sean Connery saying "Shaken, not stirred"), that those cosmos that the SATC girls drink seem so over the top and a little too, well, pink. A martini should be clear, no? Made with Gin or Vodka, whichever you prefer. For me, I love Gimlets, another take on the martini, and a drink that my Aunt Maryann introduced to me. I suppose I'll have to search my own DVD collection to see which characters drink Gimlets.

Overall, I love how movies inspire drink choices. Take for instance The Big Lebowski. Now, how many people were really into White Russians before 1998? I mean, other than moms and grandmas? Not many, and NOW there are Big Lebowski parties that go on around the country where they only serve that sweet concoction. I mean, incredible! The Dude influenced a whole generation of frat boys to drink Kahlua! Amazing! It's similar to the way Pinot Noir sales skyrocketed while Merlot sales fell after the release of Sideways. I mean, how many of us have uttered Miles classic line, "I'm not drinking any F***ing Merlot! If anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving!" Apparently, people took heed and refused to order anymore Merlot. Crazy, no? Anyway, the bottom line seems to be that peoples' drink choices are influenced by the media, movies especially. Now the challenge has become: What drink shall I pair with my movie of the night? I guess I have to choose the movie first. Or the drink. Wow, it's almost like the chicken and the egg. What's a girl to do??