From Russia With Love (1963)

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007: “Red wine with fish. Well, that should have told me something.”

Overview: James Bond travels to Istanbul in hopes of obtaining a Russian Lektor decoder and escaping with it on the Orient Express. However, the mission is a trap; SPECTRE wants to avenge the death of Dr. No. Bond prevails, dispatching SPECTRE agents Red Grant and Rosa Klebb along the way. The film marks the first appearance of Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

What does Bond drink?

• When Bond first appears, he and Sylvia Trench are on a picnic date in a boat by a river. Both are drinking martinis from a shaker (there’s also a bucket of ice nearby). Bond also has a bottle of champagne (Taittinger Blanc de Blanc) on a string chilling in the river.
• At the Gypsy camp, Bond and Kerim Bey share an entire bottle of raki. Kerim Bey enthusiastically calls it “filthy stuff.”

Raki, also known as “Lion’s Milk,” is an anise-flavored liquor made from grapes, figs or plums. Due to the anise, it becomes milky white when water is added. Considered Turkey’s national drink, raki has been produced for at least 400 years. It is usually best served cold.

• After the attack by the Bulgars on the Gypsy camp, Bond uses what appears to be wine or raki to disinfect Kerim Bey’s gunshot wound. He then hefts the bottle, saying “I’ll take care of this filthy stuff.” However, as he is about to take a swig, Bond is interrupted by the arrival of the Gypsy leader, Vavra.
• In the dinner car with Tatiana and Grant, Bond orders a bottle of Blanc de Blanc. Grant later uses the champagne to slip chloral hydrate (a knockout drug) to Tatiana.
• After Bond is initially overpowered by Grant, he says “Red wine with fish. Well, that should have told me something.” Grant replies “You may know the right wines, but you’re the one on your knees.”
• At Bond’s hotel room in Venice, he and Tatiana are eating breakfast outside. There are two bottles on the table, appearing to be champagne and vermouth (possible Cinzano). Bond and Tatiana have glasses of orange juice, so it is possible they’re having mimosas.

Other people’s drinks: While in the dinner car, Grant orders a Chianti with his fish. The waiter asks if he’d like white Chianti, to which Grant replies “No, the red kind.” In the ’60s, it was a serious no-no to drink red wine with fish.

Memorable quotes:

Kerim Bey: “The plane is chartered to Athens, you’ll be in London tomorrow morning.”
Bond: “We’ll drink to that in London.”

Product placement: Taittinger Blanc de Blanc and Anita Ekberg.

By the book: Based on From Russia, with Love (1957).

• Bond and Kerim drink raki at the Gipsy camp.
• Bond, Tatiana and Grant have dinner together in the Orient Express dining car, with Grant spilling Tatiana’s wine so he can slip her chloral hydrate. In the novel, Grant does not make the faux pas of having red wine with fish.

Total: Three drinks. One martini (at least), the better part of a bottle of raki, and at least half a bottle of champagne.