There has been a revival of traditional cocktails in recent years. This trend has been fueled by James Bond films, the Mad Men TV show, and renewed popularity of the Sinatra Rat Pack, Humphrey Bogart, film noir, swing and lounge music, and other retro icons.
James Bond movies are based on the best-selling spy novels (12 novels) of Ian Fleming (1908- 1964). Eight additional screenplays have been created for movies. There have been 25 Bond films since the first Dr. No in 1962. Bond has been portrayed by Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig.
The Commander James Bond, code name Agent 007, character is a fictional British Secret Service special agent licensed to kill created in 1953. A British officer and a gentleman with a sense of duty, honor, loyalty, and justice. He is the ideal 1950s good looking, educated, cultured, confident, athletic, macho, alpha male ‘man’s man.’ In the Fleming novels, Bond loves to drink alcohol and coffee, not tea, eat gourmet food, wear Savile Row tailored suits, smoke cigarettes, romance women, romantic dinners, drive fancy sports cars, gamble at casinos, horseracing, auto racing, skiing, sailing, scuba diving, mountain climbing, sky diving, grouse hunting, and more.
Vodka Martini
The “shaken not stirred” vodka martini was popularized in James Bond films and was a regular drink on the Mad Men TV show. It is the best known and most widely popular cocktail. Martinis originated in the 1860s. In the 1940s the gin/vodka to vermouth ratio was 4 to 1, by the 1950s it was 6 to 1.
Recipe:
6 parts vodka
1 part dry vermouth
Mix in a shaker with ice, strain into a chilled martini glass.
Garnish with lemon peel twist or olives.
Vesper Martini
In the James Bond movie Casino Royale (2006) with Daniel Craig.
Recipe:
3 parts gin
1 part vodka
1/2 part Kina Lillet aperitif
Mix in a shaker with ice, strain into a chilled martini glass.
Garnish with lemon peel twist.
Old Fashioned
In James Bond movies: Thunderball (1965) and Diamonds Are Forever (1971) with Sean Connery, and Live and Let Die (1973) with Roger Moore.
An iconic cocktail that originated in the 1830s. Making a proper old fashioned is considered an art form. This is the Don Draper cocktail of choice on Mad Men.
Recipe:
2 parts bourbon or rye whiskey
1 sugar cube
few dashes Angostura bitters
few dashes of water
Muddle sugar, bitters, and water in an old fashioned glass. Fill with ice and whisky, stir.
Garnish with an orange slice and a cocktail cherry.
Black Velvet
In the James Bond movie Diamonds Are Forever (1971) with Sean Connery.
The Black Velvet cocktail originated in London in 1861 to honor the death of Prince Albert.
Recipe:
Equal parts Guinness stout and champagne, in a Pisner glass or champagne flute.
Wine 
Bond is a connoisseur of wine, cognac, and brandy. In the Fleming novels Bond drinks Pouilly-Fuisse, Riguewihr reisling, port, cognac, Marsala, and Chatteau Mouton Rothschild claret. He likes to drink wine with gourmet foods, such as cheese, foie gras, and caviar.
Stinger
James Bond Movies: Thunderball (1965) and Diamonds Are Forever (1971) with Sean Connery.
A ‘society’ cocktail of the upper classes in New York in the 1890s. Billionaire Vanderbilt popularized the drink. The stinger has appeared in many novels and movies.
Recipe:
3 parts cognac or brandy
1 part white crème de menthe
Mix with ice, strain into a chilled martini glass.
Garnish with mint leaves.
Tom Collins
In the James Bond movie Thunderball (1965) with Sean Connery.
The Tom Collins grew in popularity in the U.S., England, France, and Germany in the 1880s.
Recipe:
3 parts gin
2 parts lemon juice
1 part sugar syrup
4 parts soda water
Mix in a Tom Collins glass with ice.
Garnish with a lemon slice and a cocktail cherry.
Negroni
In the James Bond movie: For Your Eyes Only (1981) with Roger Moore.
The negroni cocktail is a classic Italian cocktail.
Recipe:
1 part gin
1 part Campari
1 part sweet vermouth
Pour over ice in a cocktail glass, stir.
Garnish with an orange slice or twist.
Mojito
In the James Bond movie Die Another Day (2002) with Pierce Brosnan.
A favorite Cuban drink of Ernest Hemingway.
Recipe:
2 parts rum
1 part fresh lime juice
6 mint sprigs
2 teaspoons of sugar
Slash of soda water
Mix and pour into a Tom Collins glass, stir.
Garnish with sprigs of mint and a slice of lime.
Champagne
In the James Bond movies: Moonraker (1977) with Roger Moore, Diamonds Are Forever (1971) with Sean Connery, and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969 ) with George Lazenby.
Bond drinks Bollinger, Tattinger, and Krug, with foie gras and caviar.
Mint Julep
In the James Bond movie Goldfinger (1964) with Sean Connery.
The signature cocktail of the Kentucky Derby since 1932. The drink originated in the 1780s and was a popular drink throughout the southern states.
Recipe:
3 parts bourbon
4 mint sprigs
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
2 teaspoon water
Muddle mint, sugar, water in a highball glass or copper cup, fill with cracked ice, add whiskey, stir.
Garnish with a mint sprig.
Single Malt Scotch
In the James Bond movies: The World Is Not Enough (1999) with Pierce Brosnan, Die Another Day (2002) with Pierce Brosnan, Skyfall (2012) with Daniel Craig, and Spectre (2015) with Daniel Craig.
Americano
In the James Bond movies From Russia With Love (1963) with San Connery, A View to a Kill (1985) with Roger Moore, and Casino Royale (2016) with Daniel Craig.
The Americano cocktail was developed in Milan, Italy in 1860.
Recipe:
3 parts Campari
2 parts sweet vermouth
Splash of soda water
Pour over ice in a cocktail glass
Garnish with a slice of orange.
Heineken Beer
In the James Bond movie Skyfall (2012) with Daniel Craig.
Sazerac
In the James Bond movies Thunderball (1965) with Sean Connery and Live and Let Die (1973) with Roger Moore.
Developed in New Orleans in 1850.
Recipe:
5 parts cognac
1 part absinthe
1 sugar cube
2 dashes Peychaud bitters
Stir over ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with a twist of lemon peel.
Sources
The Gentleman’s Journal
Bon Appetit
Liqour.com
Distiller
IMDB
The Bar Book, Jeffrey Morganthaler
