By
Mark Cerulli
“Vodka Martini, shaken, not stirred.†As soon
as James Bond uttered that iconic phrase, the vodka martini became as much a
part of the character as his Aston Martin or Walther PPK. While previous films have seen 007 quaff a
certain Dutch beer and we know he likes Sake (as long as it’s served at the
correct temperature), in SPECTRE, Bond is back to his beverage of choice – and
that choice is Belvedere.
Belvedere
President Charles Gibb told Cinema Retro that, “We are absolutely thrilled that Belvedere
is associated with James Bond and SPECTRE. Everybody knows that Bond is a man of distinction and that his drink of
choice is a Belvedere martini.†The
partnership is Belvedere’s biggest to date and to drive home the 00
association, the brand has pulled out all the stops, creating two limited
edition Bottles (one of which has its own lighted base) as well as a Martini
Set complete with elegant 007-etched glasses.
In
London, Belvedere further tied into SPECTRE by staging an invitation only
screening and vodka bash at Loulou’s, a very trendy private club in upscale
Mayfair. They picked up the film’s Day
of the Dead vibe with costumed dancers and waitstaff; and the barmen created a number of beverages,
chief among them the Belvedere Vodka Martini. The drinks were happily consumed by the hip, young crowd that descended
from the nearby screening. I felt it my
duty to try one… maybe two and they were delicious – crisp with a splash of
olive juice. Mmmmm. Everyone was in a
buoyant mood – there was praise for the film and, of course, the free-flowing
Belvedere put everyone in the holiday spirit.
The
film left this scribe mightily impressed, easily the best of Daniel Craig’s
Bonds. Go see it – then toast 007 with a martini! (Belvedere, of course.)