12 Iconic Times Gin Cocktails Made It To The Big Screen

Alcohol is featured in many films, but gin has a special place in several undeniably memorable movies. For example, gin has inspired some of the most infamous lines in history, and not just Humphrey Bogart's iconic line, "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine," although, yes, that one does earn "Casablanca" a spot on this list.

Gin is one of the oldest spirits around, and it's been a supporting film character in more ways than one. Especially in old Hollywood, classic gin cocktails like crisp martinis and French 75s were what the high-rollers sipped on. Cocktails can be used as a storytelling tool. An elegant Gibson in a crystal glass can tell us, hey, this is a suave person of importance. These twelve movies do just that with iconic scenes that don't just feature gin cocktails, but center the story around them.

Michael Curtiz's "Casablanca" is one of the greatest love stories of the 20th century. The story may only span 3 days and a month's worth of memories, but it's been romanticized ever since its debut in 1942. Given that most of the film takes place in a bar, it's no surprise alcohol plays a central role in the narrative.

In the first scene, we're led into Rick's Bar along with the other patrons, where we see an energetic room filled with jazz, chatter, cigarette smoke, and clinking glasses. The attention shifts to the bar, where a beautiful young woman sits, sparkling in sequins and pouting into her empty glass. In the beginning, an emotional Yvonne drinks whatever the smitten bartender pours her, and fast. Later on, she struts back into Rick's with a man on her arm. Her date, a German officer, confidently orders a French 75, an elegant cocktail with a simple recipe combining gin, lemon, simple syrup, and sparkling wine.

 Tension quickly rises and fights ensue, but Rick is quick to the scene to de-escalate, as always. While "Casablanca" features a plethora of cocktails, this bold scene makes a lasting impression and sets the tone for the climatic ending. Rick Blaine, mastered by Humphrey Bogart, is forever a hero.

In the trippy fast-paced thriller "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro cruise the Vegas strip one drug-induced scene at a time. Terry Gilliam brought Hunter S. Thompson's 1971 story to life in the 1998 film. While the movie didn't receive the best initial reviews, it has since gained a cult following for its satirical look at the American dream.

Within the first 15 minutes of the film, Depp and Del Toro are seen casually lounging on a sunny patio sipping bright pink cocktails, adorned with paper umbrellas and chunks of pineapple. Depp's character, Duke, carefully narrates the scene, "In the patio section, of course, drinking Singapore Slings with mescal on the side, hiding from the brutish realities of this foul year of Our Lord, 1971." The Singapore Sling cocktail is centuries old, but its bright pink color makes it the perfect complement to the modern, neon lights of Vegas. The gin cocktail is fruity and bright, sweetened with grenadine, fresh lime, pineapple juice, Bénédictine, cherry liqueur, and often a dash of Triple Sec.

Duke manages to make it through each sip without even taking the cigarette out of his mouth. Judging by the cluttered table, the two are on their 3rd or 4th Singapore Sling, and it's just the beginning. They're clearly hooked on the tropical party drinks, as Duke delivers a tray of Singapore Slings to their table the following day.

Martinis are practically a character of their own in James Bond flicks. The classic drinks have always been ordered "shaken, not stirred," regardless of what actor was playing the suave character. Martinis may be Agent 007's go-to cocktail, but like any seasoned martini drinker, he has a preference. In the novels, Bond tends to order a Vesper martini, which is made with both gin and vodka, along with a splash of Lillet Blanc. 

In the 2006 film remake of "Casino Royale," leading man Daniel Craig heads to the bar and orders a Vesper in true Bond fashion. For anyone who isn't familiar with the Vesper martini, the 1953 novel version of "Casino Royale" provides clear instructions: "Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel," (via Bond Lifestyle). 

"The Seven Year Itch" is where Marilyn Monroe's iconic white dress originated from, but there are a handful of other iconic scenes that are often forgotten in comparison, like Monroe asking for sugar in a "big tall" martini. The film follows a married man, Tom Ewell, who is smitten with his upstairs neighbor, the sexy, unattainable Marilyn Monroe who simply goes by "The Girl." Billy Wilder's 1955 rom-com came out at the height of Monroe's career, and theater seats were going to be filled regardless of the quality.

Without his wife and son for the summer, Tom finds himself lonely and invites "The Girl" up to his apartment for a drink. Aside from being beautiful, Monroe's character has a whimsical charm and innocence, asking him, "How do you drink gin?" To this, Tom replies with an infamous line, "There's gin and vermouth. That's a martini." Monroe eagerly accepts, requesting "a big tall one." As soon as the tall gin cocktail is in her hand, she takes a sip, grimaces, and remarks that the concoction could use more sugar. 

"Poetic Justice" is a classic '90s film, and not just for its stacked musical cast. It showed a soft side to rap and R&B, a stark difference from the songs that were dominating the charts at the time. Janet Jackson plays Justice, an aspiring poet who hits the road with her bestie, Iesha, played by Regina Hall, to help cope with the death of her boyfriend. Hall steals the show many times, often with a drink in hand. The girl likes to party, and she doesn't let being in the back of a truck stop her. The two are joined by Lucky and Chicago, and when they stop for gas off the Pacific Coast Highway, Iesha grabs a small bottle of Gordon's gin and a jar of juice. She takes a big gulp of warm gin (yuck) followed by a swig of juice until she has enough room in the jar to pour in a good amount of gin. Iesha shakes it up and takes a swig, pushing it at Chicago, peer pressuring him into not letting her drink alone. She winces at the first sip of her homemade cocktail, then adds some more gin, takes a sip, and shrugs with approval.

Gin and juice has been a crowd favorite since well before Snoop Dogg sang about it in 1993. The clear liquor has a unique flavor profile — earthy, aromatic, herbaceous — so it can really alter the taste of different juices. Orange juice is commonly gin's partner given its potent flavor, but grapefruit and tangy pineapple are often mixed in, too. Citrus is key, and lime is gin's comrade for life. It's hard to make out the juice's label as Iesha is on a mission, in and out of the gas station in a flash, but the color resembles a lemon or lime color. Between her manicured nails and steady hand, the scene is iconic.

Based on the series of graphic novels of the same name, "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" is a comedic look at the absurdity of the stereotypical damsel in distress and what we'll do for love, especially as teenagers. Scott Pilgrim, played by impossibly shy Michael Cera, will do anything for love, even if that includes destroying the entire world. When Pilgrim sets his eyes on Ramona Flowers, his heart soars. Her hair color changes with her mood, she knows a lot about tea, and she is the girl of his dreams. Against all odds, he wins her over, but not before defeating her exes. The movie's climax is a super-hero level brawl between Pilgrim and each of Flowers' seven former loves. After Pilgrim turns a raging Roxy into coins, he retreats to the bar and quickly orders two gin and tonics. Pilgrim confirms he doesn't drink when Ramona questions his cool-as-a-cucumber drink order.

Gin and tonic is a fitting cocktail for a non-drinker to order, as it's all in the name and a drink as old as time. Gin and tonics are one of the oldest gin cocktails and, although invented for a surprising reason, remain one of the most classic. They couldn't be simpler, in preparation and flavor, but they're still so memorable. The bubbly bitter tonic weaves with gin's distinctive sharp flavor and the result is a smooth, refreshing sip. They're easy-drinking, which Cera makes apparent when throwing back both cocktails at the bar, leaving Ramona thirsty.

Patrick Dennis might be the youngest boy to ever shake up a martini. Or, at least, 12-year-old Jan Handzlik was the youngest actor to do so on-screen in 1958. "Auntie Mame" is a story that's been told many times, first in Patrick Dennis' 1955 novel, next on Broadway later that year, and then Morton DaCosta took it to screen in 1958. Patrick was born into a life of wealth and order, but after his father unexpectedly dies, he's sent off to life with his eccentric, unpredictable Auntie Mame in Manhattan. His late father's trustee, Mr. Babcock, is against Mame's lifestyle and has his heart set on getting Patrick to prep school. Gin martinis make their way into conversation a few times throughout the film, as they're Auntie Mame's favorite elixir seemingly morning, noon, and night.

Auntie Mame's character exemplified the wacky Aunt trope so common in pop culture. She loved art, adventure, and, of course, a perfect martini. "Little Patrick," as Mame and her girlfriends call him, was the polar opposite of her, but she did teach him how to make a mean martini. When politely welcoming Mr. Babcock into his aunt's home, Patrick offers him a martini. "Dry or extra dry?" he asks his elder. Patrick gives him some bartending pointers, reminding him that shaking will bruise the gin. When asking for Mr.Babcock's thoughts on olives, he shares Mame's bold opinion: "Auntie Mame says olives take up too much room in such a little glass."

No one plays the impossible-to-read, intimidating father quite like Robert De Niro as Jack Byrnes in the "Meet the Parents" trilogy. Ben Stiller plays Greg, a modest nurse who is no match for his (spoiler alert) former CIA agent father-in-law. In the first movie, we learn that Jack's go-to drink order is a Tom Collins, but he has a trick so it never waters down – cocktail cubes. He makes a big batch of the cocktail ahead of time, pouring some into ice cube molds for the evening's cocktail. His character's affinity for the cocktail seems like a clever nod to De Niro's role in the 1995 thriller "Casino," where his alias was Mr. Tom Collins.

In the sequel, "Meet the Fockers," we get a glimpse into Greg's childhood when introduced to his zany bohemian parents, played by Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand. Tom Collins make another appearance when Greg's father-in-law brings a tray of cocktails out to his patio for everyone, declaring De Niro as a known "Tom Collins man." The simple cocktail only takes a few ingredients – gin, lemon, simple syrup, and soda water. Some folks will substitute vodka, but gin is the only choice for a true Tom Collins.

"Uncharted" is one of the newer films on the list, released in 2022, which proves folks still have good taste in cocktails. In the film, Tom Holland stars as Nathan Drake, a young bartender living life day by day until he's approached by a mysterious man named Sully (Mark Wahlberg) to hunt down the lost fortune of Ferdinand Magellan. When Marky Mark shows up during your bar shift and recruits you for an ancient treasure hunt, you say yes.

Drake's got wit, street smarts, and a good grasp on classic cocktails. Holland plays the witty, flirty bartender with such ease you'd think it was his full-time gig. Before heading out on his adventure, Tom Holland makes a beautiful Negroni behind the bar, giving his customer a little history lesson while he's at it. The young blonde initially orders a vodka tonic, which Drake scoffs at while twirling a cocktail napkin in the air. "It's my first drink of the night. Test me a little," he requests. She follows up by ordering a Negroni, which Drake happily starts preparing. 

There are plenty of classic Negroni variations you need to try, but the foundation is always equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari. As he prepares the cocktail with impressive bottle flips, Holland starts spitting out Negroni facts. "First made in 1919 for Count Camillo Negroni when he swapped the soda water in his usual drink, the Americano, for gin," he tells his customer.

Most scenes in "The Thin Man" feature some sort of martini, and gin was the standard back in the 1930s. Nick Charles is a retired detective with an affinity for cocktails, gin martinis in particular. While on a Christmas vacation in NYC, he's pulled back into the field by an intriguing case of a missing inventor that his wife, Nora, convinces him to take on, but only with her by his side. Nick and Nora (and their Wire Fox terrier, Asta) extend their trip and spend the next few weeks hunting for "The Thin Man," mostly with a martini in hand. Their chemistry is palpable, and America adored the mystery-solving duo, so much so that five sequels followed the 1934 film.

In one scene early on in the film, Nick gives the bartenders a little demonstration, telling them how long to shake martinis and to "always have rhythm in your shaking." His shaking speed is just as impressive as his drinking speed, and his wife can play, too. At one point, Nora joins Nick for a drink and orders 6 at once to catch up with her husband. Nick and Nora guzzle martini after martini throughout the whole film, typically out of a stemmed glass a tad smaller than a martini's traditional sharp-edged stemware. We still see this type of glass today – the Nick and Nora glass – named after the iconic husband and wife team.

"The Great Gatsby" is a non-stop party crowed with cocktails, most with gin. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel that the 1974 and 2013 films are based on, the clan drinks gin rickeys on the regular. It's the summer of 1922 and Nick Carraway is a modest aspiring writer freshly in New York, forced to marvel over his new wealthy neighbor's exuberant lifestyle. He's pulled into the world of power, affluence, and gin...lots of gin.

In the 2013 remake of "The Great Gatsby," Tobey Maguire takes the lead alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, who plays the ever so charming Jay Gatsby. The roaring 20s are on full display for the privileged in "The Great Gatsby," and that means party after party, often thrown by Gatsby himself. The rich routinely drink martinis, gin punch, and gin rickeys. A classic gin rickey is a simple, refreshing cocktail made with gin, lime, and soda water, typically served in a highball glass.

There's a good amount of alcohol in Hithcock's 1959 classic, "North by Northwest," with the most iconic being the Gibson. Cary Grant plays Roger Thornhill, your average advertising executive who gets mistaken for a government agent. Hitchcock crafts the perfect blend of suspense and romance, and nowhere is that elegance more apparent than when Thornhill sets his eyes on Eve Kendall, the mysterious blonde eyeing him from across the train car. 

As the two sit in the dining car of the 20th Century Limited, their conversation pops and the attraction is undeniable. Thornhill orders a Gibson — a cocktail made with gin and dry vermouth, garnished with a pickled onion. The Gibson, a less common and slightly more distinctive version of a typical martini, reflects Thornhill's polished and confident persona. Played by the angelic Eva Marie Saint, Eve matches his charm, and he quickly sees he has met his match. The Gibson is a simple drink, but in Hitchcock's hands, it becomes part of the film's timeless appeal.