![]() We Need to Talk About Dougīrian Flanagan is “Cocktail’s” protagonist. All of this is enough to make you drop to your knees and thank God and Jerry Thomas that you can enjoy cocktail culture in its present state. In the era’s context, Brian’s goal of franchising a bar chain for suburban shopping malls called Flanagan’s Cocktails and Dreams seems like a legitimate strategy, even if it petrifies our contemporary sensibilities. Craft spirits weren’t a thing, so options were limited at best. Cocktail mixers and canned, frozen juices were the weapons of choice behind the stick back then. ![]() In some weird way, “Cocktail” provides a window into what the bar scene was like before the work of pioneers like Dale DeGroff, Audrey Saunders, Sasha Petraske, and Julie Reiner helped transform the industry for the better. It may be during the film, or it could be a few hours later when you’re reaching for a snack in the fridge. These things turn the movie into something mildly horrific and slightly comedic, bloated with a bevy of bad beverages.Īt some point, though, you’ll remember that “Cocktail” came out in 1988. But for those who know modern bartenders use the classic Daiquiri recipe as a litmus test of professional skill, this sequence is still cringeworthy, especially since the final result ends up looking like a Mudslide. Granted, they’re in a tropical setting and you can easily predict that he’s going for the blender. When the movie shifts from New York to Jamaica and Doug asks Brian to make him a Daiquiri after bragging that he taught Brian everything he knows, Brian immediately reaches for a blender instead of a shaker. They free pour every spirit, sometimes three bottles at once. Cruise’s Brian Flanagan and Bryan Brown’s Doug Coughlin may know how to toss a bottle over their shoulder or slam a Boston shaker onto a bar top in unison, but they don’t know drink specs or use jiggers, fruit juices, or pretty much anything that creates a balanced drink. The movie indeed gives drinks aficionados ample fodder. You already know that the drinks are going to suck and the techniques will be horrific, and they’ll be fun to mock as you sit there with your proper mixed drink made with real ingredients in hand. When you stream “Cocktail” and become awash in the glow of its neon opening credits, you’ll naturally observe it through the knowing eyes of the modern bar scene. If you observe it, it’s oddly fascinating. Time has caused “Cocktail” to evolve into a movie that you don’t watch as much as observe if you’re in the know about contemporary mixed drinks. The movie hasn’t aged too well 35 years after its release, but that’s what makes it interesting. If you’re in the drinks industry, or if you’re a fan of modern cocktail culture and the bartending industry that makes it possible, “Cocktail” is worth 1 hour and 43 minutes of your time. Most people don’t really need to spend the $3.99 it currently costs to stream the movie. ![]() Its current Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 58 percent suggests the public perceives the film as a mediocre slice of ‘80s cheese. It “won” Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Movie and Worst Screenplay. Critics savaged the Tom Cruise vehicle when it hit theaters in 1988. In the lead up to the 95th Academy Awards, this week on VinePair we’re celebrating the starring role drinks have played in the most iconic movies in history.
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