Skip to main content

Drink to This: The Cocktail Chart of Film and Literature

the cocktail chart of film and literature pop lab s
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Have you ever wondered what was in a Flaming Moe? Or how to make Don Draper’s Old Fashioned? Or Jay Gatsby’s Gin Rickey? The Cocktail Chart of Film and Literature will take you on a journey through the libations of your favorite movies and books.

“Our love of libations is no big secret—we’ve charted the varieties of beer, the constitutions of cocktails, the manifold martinis, and the breakdown of alcohol at large,” says Will Prince, managing editor of Pop Chart Labs. “Our infographic-crazed poster company was actually borne from a love of books and literature. Or perhaps more accurately, our obsession with narrative—the way data can come together to tell a story, be it through prose, the moving image, or the snaking tendrils of a chart. So for this poster we plumbed the deaths of our book knowledge and cinephilia to come up with story-specific tipples. We realized quickly that so many of our favorite characters were actually immediately associated with alcoholic drinks: Bond’s shaken-but-not-stirred martini; The Dude’s White Russians; the many, many drinks of Fitzgerald and Hemingway’s gilded age guzzlers. And our research further confirmed our suspicions: fictional characters, across all mediums, love to drink.”

All our favorite characters do love to imbibe, and this chart is a great conversation starter in any kitchen, living room or kitchen. Pop Chart Labs even had a little fun with it, adding some drinks that aren’t meant for actual consumption, like Edgar’s Sugar Water — lots of sugar with tap water — from Men in Black, or the Flaming Moe, which consists of Krusty-Brand cough syrup, cigarette ash and drops of various liquors. Rest assured though, all the other recipes are for real.

“The infographic is mathematically and culinary sound, making the chart not just a cheat sheet for impressive literary references, but also a useful tool for your next cocktail party,” says Prince. “We took great care in making sure all of the ingredient ratios were proportional.”

So go ahead, if you want to have a little fun with your cocktails, get this handy infographic for hours of drinking and amusement.

The Cocktail Chart of Film and Literature, $27 at popchartlab.com.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Editors' Recommendations

Ann Binlot
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ann Binlot is a New York-based freelance writer who contributes to publications like The Economist, Wallpaper*, Monocle…
Sam Slaughter, Food and Drink Editor of The Manual, Brings Us a Cocktail Recipe Book With a Splash of ’90s Nostalgia
press release sam slaughter are you afraid of the dark rum 90s cocktails book cover feature

PORTLAND, Ore., June 4, 2019 -- Now that the children of the 1990s are old enough to buy their own drinks, they’re old enough to make them too. And Sam Slaughter’s new book, Are You Afraid of the Dark Rum?: and Other Cocktails for ‘90s Kids, is just for them. It puts a nostalgic twist on the classic cocktail recipe collection.

Drink Your Nostalgia With a User-Friendly Ode to Last Century’s Last Decade

Read more
Cocktail classics: the Negroni and its millions of variations
Negroni

Of all the classic cocktails that are well-known in bars across the world, one stands out for being both complex fascinating to drink, but also incredibly easy to make: the negroni. This beloved cocktail from Italy consists of equal parts of gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari, and it doesn't even need to be shaken. Traditionally made in a mixing glass, where it is stirred with ice to add water, in practice you can even add the ingredients to a tumbler glass with a large ice cube and stir it in the glass. That isn't really the technically correct way to make the drink, but it works well enough and means that you can make this cocktail with practically no equipment whatsoever.
The negroni is popular for its intense, bitter flavors and its bright red color, both of which come from the Campari. But the addition of gin gives the drink that heavy, boozy note with plenty of spicy juniper, and the sweet vermouth adds a touch of sweetness and more herbal notes. The result is a drink which packs an incredible flavor punch, and which tends to be either loved or hated (mostly depending on how you feel about Campari).
Thanks to its simplicity, the negroni lends itself to endless variations. While in truth I think it's hard to beat the classic version of this cocktail, if you're a long-time negroni drinker and you're looking to try something new – or maybe even if you're not a fan of the classic negroni but are interested in finding a version which does work for you – then we've got suggestions on some of the many variations you can try.

Experimenting with gins

Read more
Gose-style beers are perfect for spring, and these are our favorites
This salty, tart, sour beer is perfect for spring.
Gose beer

As we mentioned in an earlier post, the Gose style might be the best beer choice for spring and summer drinking. This wheat beer is top-fermented and gets a second fermentation with lactobacillus bacteria. This gives it a tart, sour flavor profile similar to your favorite sour ale. The addition of coriander and sea salt adds some spice and salinity to this very unique, refreshing beer.

On top of that, this tart, salty thirst-quencher is usually between 4-5% ABV. This results in a crushable, salty, crisp beer you won’t be able to put down even between horseshoe throws or cornhole turns.
A strange, salty history

Read more