7 Iconic Gin Scenes from Movies

When it comes to booze-soaked cinema, beer and wine seem to be the beverages of choice.

“Beerfest,” “Drinking Buddies” and “Super Bad” have particularly brew-centered plots and wine can be found at the core of “Wine Country,” “A Perfect Pairing” and “Uncorked.”

This is great news for the fans of grapes and hops, but what about our beloved botanical friend, gin?

With juniper in our hearts and a martini in hand, let’s take a look at seven iconic gin scenes from movies!

“Annie” (1982)

While crooning the questionable lyrics “send a flood, send a flu, anything that you can do to little, little, little… girls,” Miss Hannigan (played by Carol Burnett) stirs up a bathtub full of a clear alcohol and juniper berry syrup — hey, that’s gin!

Taking care of young girls at the Hudson Street Orphanage isn’t easy and one way the cruel character goes about dealing with her troubles is excessive drinking.

Bathtub gin originated as a sneaky way to produce alcohol during the Prohibition era. Just like cheap vodka needs sweet mixers to make a palatable cocktail, illegal liquor was made drinkable by adding potently flavored juniper. As for the bathtub, it was simply a readily available vessel large enough to concoct big batches of booze.

Since “Annie” is set during the Great Depression, it makes sense that Miss Hannigan would stir up cheap gin to keep her constant — and problematic — buzz rolling.

“A Simple Favor”

“A little bit of vermouth, swirl it around… dump.”

Emily Nelson (played by Blake Lively) shares her recipe for a perfect martini with her mommy-vlogger friend, Stephanie Smothers (played by Anna Kendrick). The recipe requires a frozen, bountiful serving of what is most certainly Aviation Gin, a frozen glass and a generous lemon twist.

Emily adds in that ice should never be used in a martini since it “ruins everything.” Bold words from someone who is later found out to be a sister-murdering con artist.

The 2018 plot twist-packed black comedy is directed by Paul Feig, who also happens to own a gin brand, Artingstall’s Brilliant London Dry Gin.

We can certainly see why the gin martini became such an important prop for “A Simple Favor.”

“Casablanca”

“Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.”

If you’re a fan of classical Hollywood cinema, you knew this scene was coming.

This iconic gin-centered line is uttered by Rick Blaine (played by Humphrey Bogart) after his former lover Yvonne (played by Madeleine Lebeau) enters his bar with her new German husband.

Gin is also featured in “Casablanca” in the form of a French 75, a cocktail of World War I origin.

The French 75 is named after its recipe — gin, champagne, sugar and lemon juice — which supposedly felt like being hit with a French 75 mm field gun. Drink with caution.

“Meet the Fockers”

A family get-together isn’t complete without a cringe-inducing toast over shared cocktails.

“A litte birdy, told me that one of our guests here, is a Tom Collins man.”

Bernie Focker (played by Dustin Hoffman) enters the scene with a tray full of tasty Tom Collins cocktails before he makes a toast, starting with mention of his vasectomy. Charming!

As the terrible toast continues, the characters take loud sips from their long, colorful straws.

A Tom Collins is made with gin, lemon juice (freshly squeezed, as Bernie did), simple syrup and club soda. Be sure to top the cocktail with lemon wedges and plenty of maraschino cherries for ultimate “Meet the Fockers” authenticity.

“Auntie Mame”

“Stir, never shake — bruises the gin!”

A young Patrick Dennis (played by Jan Handzlik) crafts a martini for his eccentric aunt’s house guest. After pouring in an extra serving of gin, Patrick mentions that shaking a martini bruises the spirit. While this is not based on any hard evidence, it is a common sentiment for the cocktail.

The now flabbergasted house guest, Mr. Babcock (played by Fred Clark), is handed the martini and informed that Auntie Mame thinks olives take up too much room in such a little glass. We agree to disagree.

“Casino Royale”

“Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka and half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it over ice and then add a thin slice of lemon.”

Well, of course James Bond had to make an appearance! When not desecrating a martini with overly agitated ice, the character of “shaken not stirred” fame crafts his own gin cocktails.

In this gin scene, Bond (played by Daniel Craig) rattles off the ingredients to a cocktail he eventually names after the stunning Vesper Lynd (played by Eva Green).

Later in the film, Bond is poisoned via martini by the film’s villain, Le Chiffre. Mr. 007 really should be more careful with gin.

Since the Vesper isn’t a martini, it’s a-okay to give it a hardy shake with ice. Just don’t ask your bartender to do that to a martini like Sean Connery’s Bond from “Goldfinger” — you may be met with silent disapproval.

“The Great Gatsby” (2013)

“The Great Gatsby” is quite the alcohol-soaked film. The Prohibition era-set movie shows characters imbibing and partying like the world’s about to end. And it is — at least for a few characters.

The titular Jay Gatsby (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) is introduced to the audience in a positively iconic (and meme-inspiring) scene in which he raises a tall gin glass as fireworks erupt in the background. What an entrance.

The film’s source material takes full advantage of gin, with gin rickeys featured in a book scene. Gatsby and his group take “long, greedy swallows” of the chilled, limey cocktails.

A gin rickey is delightfully easy to make. Simply add your favorite gin and lime juice to a glass full of ice and top with club soda.

Need more boozy cinema? Read up on iconic rum scenes from movies here.

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