When we think of martini, we usually think of the (vodka) martini cocktail that Bond consumes...
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Smirnoff Vodka
James Bond and Smirnoff have gone hand in hand for almost 60 years. The close partnership between Smirnoff Vodka and Bond began in 1962's Dr. No.
The first time we see Smirnoff is when a waiter hands Sean Connery a martini made with Smirnoff Vodka in Bond's hotel suite, about 25 minutes in to the movie: "One medium-dry vodka martini - mixed like you said, sir, not stirred". Also on the table is a green bottle of what looks like Martini vermouth.
Later we see Smirnoff in the same room, with a glass bucket of ice. James Bond puts ice in a glass, smells the bottle, decides it's not safe to drink and opens another bottle that he takes from a drawer. There is also a Smirnoff bottle in Ms Taro’s house next to record player. Smirnoff can also be seen in the apartment of Dr No's lair where Bond and Honey Rider stay. Bond takes two glasses and says “I can assure you my intentions are strictly honourable”.
In the movie Thunderball (1965) Bond makes a martini on the rocks with Smirnoff vodka and Cinzano.
Smirnoff bottles can be spotted in For Your Eyes Only (on Havelock's ship, in his office), Octopussy (Octopussy's room) and Licence To Kill (Isthmus Casino bar).
In The Living Daylights (1987), bottles of Smirnof can be seen and Bond mixes Smirnoff and Martini Bianco in Kara's dressing room.
In GoldenEye (1995), Valentin Zukovsky drinks Smirnoff Black Label.
Bottles of Smirnoff can clearly be seen in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) in the Kempinski Atlantic hotel scene in Hamburg, when Bond pours himself a drink from a bottle with vintage Smirnoff label (a bottle with similar old label can still be bought at TheWhiskyExchange or eBay).
In The World is not Enough (1999) Bond is being served a Smirnoff Black Label by Valentin Zukovsky.
In Casino Royale (2006) a large Smirnoff stand can be seen in the Miami airport chase scene and Smirnoff bottles are present in the bar scenes.
Diageo-owned Smirnoff Vodka again officially partnered up with the world's most famous secret agent in Quantum of Solace (2008) The partnership resulted in James Bond-inspired initiatives from Smirnoff in markets worldwide. The promotional campaign began in October 2008 with the Travel Retail Smirnoff Black limited-edition cocktail shaker at the heart of the campaign. The stainless steel cocktail shaker encases a 70cl bottle of Smirnoff Black vodka.
In No Time To Die (2021), Smirnoff will once again be seen in the film, based on a early released photo of a bar in the film where a Smirnoff bottle is prominently seen. Smirnoff No Time To Die promotions have kicked off in some European countries in summer 2021 but in the UK and USA no promotions have yet be seen.
Other vodka brands
Vodka brands Stolichnaya and Absolut have made casual appearances and Finlandia vodka was promoted in 2002's Die Another Day. In SPECTRE (2015), the Polish brand Belvedere provided the vodka.
In the original Ian Fleming novels, James Bond actually preferred Polish or Russian vodka, during which time the only brand available in the West would have been Stolichnaya. Bond is also known to have even drunk Wolfschmidt on one occasion (in the novel Moonraker, during the dinner at Blades). Besides his famous "Martini, shaken, not stirred", James Bond was known in the novels to drink a shot of vodka straight, served with a pinch of black pepper. This was not for the flavor, he explains, but because it caused the impurities in cheap vodka to sink to the bottom.
Comments
The Smirnoff Vodka is a great product. I like this stuff!
smirnoff and bond make a great combo!
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