Poured, not Shaken nor Stirred

Issue Eight

Today, we are discussing one of my favorite characters in literature, and by extension, film.

I promise today’s discussion is much, much lighter than the post that dropped earlier this week, where I heavily critiqued the wine industry’s foolish assault on non-alcoholic beverages for being short-sighted, elitist, and tone deaf. 

As a big proponent of the neo-temperance movement, a sober curious member myself,  and a critic of the wine industry’s tired marketing campaigns, a conversation on the topic was a long time coming. Luckily, Come Over October fueled the fire just enough to get it out the door.

I received a ton of support for that post, from people both inside and outside of the wine and spirits industry. For that, and for all those who read it, I so appreciate you.

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“There are some things that just aren't done, such as drinking a Dom Pérignon '53 above a temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit.”

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Now, onto a discussion that sort of involves a Martini, but really involves Champagne, because this spy character was known to drink a fair share of bubbly. 

Bonded

So who is a favorite character of mine?

Bond. James Bond. 

When you walk into our living room, you are greeted with bookshelves featuring our collections of novels and coffee table books, which include, among others, first editions of Ian Fleming’s James Bond series. Not only is the writing punchy, the plots thrilling, and the subject matter compelling—who doesn’t love a little adventure and espionage?—but I have a fondness for the character that is Ian Fleming. 

Fleming himself worked in the intelligence office of the Royal Navy during WWII, devising all sorts of schemes fit for the novels he’d later write. He had high tastes, hobnobbed with the rich and famous, and did those sort of mid-century macho adventures like shark hunting. Encyclopedia Britannica even mentions that his contemporaries considered him a more compelling character than Bond.

Elements of Fleming make their way into Bond’s personality because any writer will tell you that they extract components of their own selves, own alter egos, and own visions to place on their characters. The one characteristic that I most identify with is Bond’s, and Fleming’s, love of Champagne.