007 & B007E: Shaken not Stirred

Cool.
The very first blog entry I'll compose while inebriated.

It's 2:48 a.m.,
and my best buddies and I just finished our pre-Halloween party,
a Scotch-San Mig Pale Pilsen-Sisig-Chicharon Bulaklak/Manok night.

Just as well,
I'll be writing about liquor anyway,
and what better way to do so, than when all boozed up?



Let's talk about the MARTINI.

The classic Lounge Cocktail.
The simplest one to make,
yet the one with the most complicated variations.

For the Martini virgin,
it's really quite easy,
as the recipe above states.
Gin or Vodka + Vermouth + Olive(s).

However,
Martinis are the ZEN drinks of any bar.

Ephemeral & Elusive, but quite striking;
Simple, yet Complex;
A Classic, but always New;
Elegant, yet definitely Dangerous.

Just like James Bond.




It's difficult to separate 007 from the Martini,
his signature drink;

and thanks to Bond author Ian Fleming,
"Shaken, not Stirred"
is already a permanent part of our lexicon.

I've been wanting to try Martinis ever since
I saw my first Bond, James Bond film
back in the 1970s,
in the late, lamented ODEON Theater
at the corner of Recto and Avenida Rizal.

The movie was DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER.
Like 007, Shirley Bassey's theme song was a killer,

and certain facets of the movie were instantly
permanently etched in my impressionable young mind:

Bond always gets the girl.
Bond always gets the best gadgets.
Bond always gets to go to the most exotic places.
Bond always gets to drink the best Martinis.



20 movies on,
Bond still is quite the drinker,
as evidenced by the picture above.

Daniel Craig,
the 6th actor to get the License to Kill
(not counting David Niven, as a Bond caricature
in the misguided original Casino Royale, a spoof)
seems to love his alcohol too.

The new CASINO ROYALE opens in MMLA Theaters
on November 15, 4 days before my birthday.

It's a perfect gift for this lifelong 007 fan,
and yes,

I'll celebrate both milestones with a MARTINI...

Shaken,
not Stirred.