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Bond, Belvedere Bond

The Thinking Drinkers review the drinking habits of the world’s least secretive spy. As featured on Telegraph Men

Bond said, ‘And I would like a medium Vodka dry martini—with a slice of lemon peel. Shaken and not stirred, please. I would prefer Russian or Polish vodka.’
Doctor No gave his thin smile an extra crease. ‘I see you are also a man who knows what he wants.’

Dr No, Ian Fleming, 1958

After the kerfuffle over the reputed fee Heineken paid to have Skyfall’s James Bond swig its lager while lying in bed, you’d be within your rights to sniff at news of his chosen tipple in the upcoming Spectre. After all, if a ubiquitous beer brand can buy its way into the affections of one of the world’s most discerning drinkers, perhaps there are no boundaries in the commercialisation of the franchise.

But even if your brand placement pique peaked last time out, let it be known that Belvedere vodka has announced it is to be in, around and possibly even in James Bond during the 2015 release. As they attempt shake or stir the interest of Bond fans, the spirit owners will today remind fans that the world’s least secretive spy is returning to his drinking roots with an original literary order: a Polish vodka. And, if you were disappointed with the din created by Heineken, this at least seems a fitting connection for the man of martinis, particularly as the rye spirit is an assertive vodka that Bond might conceivably actually order.

If you’re a geek of Bond or drinks, you’d be right to point out that Bond’s first Martini order, that which perhaps forms his ‘drinking roots’, is not a vodka drink. But then, if we look at his most famous Martini order, nor are his roots in gin. Indeed Bond’s first Martini included both, his Vesper in Ian Fleming’s first book, Casino Royale, was a mix of gin, vodka and Kina Lillet, shaken.

But away from the Vesper in his earliest incarnations, the 1954 novel Live and Let Die for example, Bond did order vodka Martinis. Like most alcohol, he enjoyed a bit of vodka and in the first book even specified Russian or Polish, the two ‘authentic’ vodka nations, while also indicating he prefers a grain vodka, which Belvedere is. His affection for vodka makes sense based on the cold war context since anyone who mixed spy business and pleasure with the Russians in the 50s would’ve sipped the spirit. And also because the writer, Ian Fleming, switched from gin to vodka when he was writing Bond, with the spirit fast becoming the world’s most fashionable drink.

A Bond year invariably encourages people to ask a drinks writer: ‘what did Bond drink?’ The correct response is: ‘nothing, he’s not a real person’. But since this is regarded terse, the conversation reverts to Bond’s Martinis, before pointing out how, in the books, he orders many, many other things. From the first drink he ever ordered, an Americano cocktail, to Champagne, whisky, rum, vintage wine, beer and the occasional liqueur. If you wanted to mimic Bond’s preference for a drink it’s important to stress, while he had some favourites, he also mixed things up, and equally important to note that if you drink like the Bond in the books, you’ll be drinking yourself into oblivion.

Take Scotch, more prevalent than the Martini in the books, sometimes simply appearing as a ‘bottle of’ or ‘Scotch and soda’. Macallan was particularly proud that it makes an appearance in SkyFall, but Bond has historically enjoyed many brands, Haig & Haig, Black & White and Johnnie Walker amongst them. Countless orders appear without a brand name check and the literature is littered with whisky. Scotch is barely a preference in the books though. American whiskey makes a massive mark on Bond’s liver – Jack Daniels is ordered in the novels On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and You Only Live Twice; Virginia Gentleman bourbon is in The Spy Who Loved Me; Harper bourbon in Her Majesty’s Secret Service; Canadian Club makes an appearance in Dr No; and Walkers Deluxe in The Man With the Golden Gun. Japanese also gets a look in in the novels and film adaptation of You Only Live Twice, Suntory enjoying the exposure there.

As with the wider drinks list, these are clearly chosen specifically by a man of taste, but as relevant is the accent they each provide for exotic locations, as yet we’ve not seen him take to Welsh Whisky but may be Indian isn’t far away.

But it’s the consumption levels rather than choice in the books that really makes eyes water. In Live and Let Die for example, we read about multiple dry gin and a vodka martinis, Scotch and sodas, straight Scotch, Haig and Haig on the rocks, Old Grand-dad bourbon in Old Fashioneds, a few double Old Grand-Dads neat for good measure, he even has some Liebfraumilch. In Moonraker it’s white Bordeaux, vodka martinis and Wolfschmidt vodka from Riga, Taittinger, Dom Perignon, Mouton Rothschild. Diamonds are for Ever, has him mix gin and vodka martinis, Irish coffee, stingers and a Miller High. By From Russia With Love its Claret, Kavaklidere and Chianti, slivovitz and even ouzo. And that’s just in the first four flipping books. It’s a literary theme continued right up to the recent non-Fleming outings. In William Boyd’s Solo, he drinks Dimple Haig, Dewar’s and Johnnie Walker to prove he’ll enjoy a range of Scotch, he also dips into the bourbon, brandy and calvados, Champagne and a Chateau Batailley 1959, a Green Star beer as well as an African Martini – gin and lime juice. Serious sipping skills.

The commercial pressures on Bond’s film producers means the opportunity to place a product and pay for a location shoot in the Caribbean is hard to argue against, and brands like Belvedere will often be elevated in status if there’s budget available. But the scope for drinking on screen is reduced for the celluloid Bond, because if the films were exact interpretations of the books, he would have little time for walkie talkie watches and women. So the film name checks are less apparent, particularly in the earlier films. Smirnoff has enjoyed recognition, Scotch creeps into the films with Pierce Brosnan in The World Is Not enough and Die Another Day orders Talisker, but compared to the books, Scotch is rarer. And in some cases these brands are not consumed, simply seen. Over the years Havana Club, Courvoisier and Dom Perignon have been seen, elsewhere Martini Rossi, Jim Beam, Bollinger, Moet, Absolut and 7UP for you non drinkers, even Guinness joins the list of those spotted either in hand, glass or in the background. And in further defence of the franchise aligning with a mainstream lager brand (Heineken had brand visibility in Tomorrow Never Dies and Casino Royale incidentally), it should be noted that Red Stripe has been enjoyed in the books and seen on the screen.

We’ll have to wait and see how Belvedere will be used next year, as a grain vodka it correlates with the Bond of the books, but as this piece proves, Bond did drink most things. Belvedere was not available in the early 1950s when Bond was born, but when he first went to the bar his vodka choice was limited, today there are over 1000 brands to choose from. And while you could argue that as a discerning drinker he might try something a little less familiar than a major luxury brand with a huge budget, he could just as easily be seen drinking the Polish spirit considering the expensive bars he frequents.

Whatever else, the ‘What Bond Drinks’ discussion will undoubtedly inspire a few like-minded purchases at the bar. Belvedere backs its brand association with 100 special edition bottles with the Belvedere Palace switched for the MI6 building. Sexy stuff. They can expect to shift a few of them, because if Bond likes it, chances are other drinkers will too. And while Bond has very specific tastes, the truth is, the clothes, the cars, the gadgets, even the girls, are very expensive and they all date. What’s great about the drinks is they are an accessible and timeless choice we can usually experience somehow, even those he enjoys in bed.

 

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