Hopefully no one drinks like they do on TV as they’d all be functioning alcoholics.
On the show Mayans M.C. the characters seem to find substanance from a constant flow of beer on to be chased with shots of whiskey.
TV Shows from “Dallas” with Jr. “bourbon and branch” to Mad Men with their Martinis pulled out of the desk drawer, characters on TV seems to be constantly drinking. They certainly drink more than they ever watch TV or use the bathroom.
Bourbon and branch is a cocktail made with bourbon whiskey and water. The water used is called “branch water”, which is a term for water from a natural stream.
How it’s made
– Fill a glass with ice
– Add 2 ounces of bourbon
– Add 2 ounces of branch water
– Stir
Why it’s called bourbon and branch? Branch water is the water comes from a stream or branch that feeds a distillery.
They order straight whiskey, no water, no ice.
In reality, almost no one drinks exactly like characters on TV shows, as the portrayal of drinking on screen is often exaggerated for dramatic effect, and actors typically use non-alcoholic substitutes during filming; meaning the “heavy drinking” you see on TV is not actually alcohol and is not representative of how most people consume alcohol in real life.
I think writers write in these drinking scenes to give the actors something to do with their hands. It’s either a cigarette, a coffee cup or a beer bottle – something needs to be in their hands.
Why don’t these heavy drinkers ever drink something interesting? Like a mixed drink or cocktail? It always straight out of the Scotch decanter or whiskey bottle. How about a simple gin and toxic once in a while? How about an Old Fashioned? Or even some ice? Would it really slow down the drinking too much to have some ice?
Like in the Mayans M.C. why bother having these girls work a bar when all they do is drink bottled beer (24/7) and shots of whiskey? Can’t they afford to send the girls to some mixology classes?
Now in Westerns I can understand drinking whiskey straight. There wasn’t a lot of choices.
Whiskey was easily the most popular drink in the Wild West, served up in saloons and sipped by cowboys on their breaks from cattle drives through the mountains. Men gathered in saloons of the West to drink whiskey and socialize. Straight whiskey was the drink of choice in the Wild West, but it didn’t always taste good.
Other options were not always available except maybe in larger towns/cities.
- Beer:While not as prevalent as whiskey, some saloons would have offered locally brewed beer.
- Hard cider:A readily available option in regions with apple orchards, often considered a more casual drink.
- Wine:Though less common due to transportation challenges, some higher-end saloons might have offered imported wines.
- Coffee:A popular choice for cowboys and settlers to stay alert during long days.
- Homemade liquor:Some individuals might have distilled their own spirits, particularly in rural areas.
