Will Vodka See A Hike In Sales Because Of The 007 Tag?

A certain dashing British spy has been stealing hearts – and diamonds – for quite a few years now. And it is only fair to say that one would need a drink once a while with a job profile so ‘adventurous’.

Keeping in mind James Bond’s favorite – shaken not stirred – cocktail, a study claims that vodka is set for a boost in sales after receiving the endorsement by this flag bearer of valor.

When Daniel Craig took on the illustrious role of 007 for Casino Royal in 2006, however, the drink changed. No longer was vodka martini the drink of choice but a Vesper – a drink invented by Bond in the original 1953 novel.

An offbeat study published by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) in December 2013 analysed Bond’s drinking habits, as described in the original Ian Fleming novels.

Boozy Bond

The iconic character has increasingly been knocking back heady concoctions, with the latest avatar (Craig) being judged as the booziest Bond so far. He has had an average of 20 units of alcohol per film since his debut in 2006’s Casino Royale, according to a study by British food and drink trade magazine The Grocer.

To give you a perspective, that compares with an average 12 units for Pierce Brosnan, 11 units for Sean Connery and just four or five units per film for Timothy Dalton. The study even linked rising gin sales to a tie-up with the world’s most powerful film franchise.

Bottled Djinns

“It’s no coincidence that gin’s revival began around about the time Craig first came bounding out of the sea in those too-tight trolleys (swimming trunks) in ‘Casino Royale’,” it said. “In that film Bond did away with his usual Vodka Martini and knocked back three Vesper Martinis (gin, vodka, vermouth) instead. In the following ‘Quantum of Solace’ he chewed through another six.

“Craig helped make gin cool again,” it said. But Craig himself said in an interview with Esquire magazine that he did not approve of his character’s hard-partying lifestyle, saying there was “a great sadness” in Bond. 007 is “lonely” and beds beautiful women who end up leaving him, Craig said. “As a man gets older it’s not a good look.”

Coming Soon

Mr. Bond is preparing for his 24th silver-screen excursion next month with the release of “Spectre”.

Spectre will be Craig’s fourth performance and will feature Django Unchained actor Christoph Waltz as his arch rival. It is scheduled for worldwide release on November 6.