The film was directed by famed Italian director Mario Bava and starred John Phillip Law, Marisa Mell, Michel Piccoli and Adolfo Celi. The movie is described as so by Rotten Tomatoes:
Diabolik (John Phillip Law) is the criminal mastermind who has just pulled off a huge heist. He spends most of his free time with his girlfriend, Eva (Marisa Mell), in fond embrace. The police minister (Terry-Thomas) is approached by Valmont (Adolfo Celi), a master criminal who proposes to use his underworld connections to catch Diabolik for the police. In between their gratuitous lovemaking, he and the exotic Eva are chased by police and the mob in this plodding crime drama.A non booze fact about the Danger: Diabolik movie that I came upon is very interesting. The source material that movie it is based on comes from the Italian comic book of the same name that was created by sisters Angela and Luciana Giussani. The comic was first published in November 1962. For more information, I recommend that you check out the Diabolik website. On to the movie.
I love these 1960's films when it comes to booze and beer references. To me they are something of a time capsule in seeing what products were popular at the time. What was popular in the 1960's might have fallen out of style decades later and gotten back into style even later.
It takes a while before we get down to some drinking. Mobster Valmont is holding a meeting of mob syndicate members on his yacht and it is here where some interesting liquor brands can be found.
I zoom into the liquor bottles for a better view of the selection:
From what I can tell Valmont provides a nice variety of spirits for his guests to enjoy. I see a Martell Three Star Cognac, Gordon's Gin, Tio Pepe Sherry, Jim Beam Bourbon, Punt e Mes Vermouth Rosso, Martini Vermouth Blanc and a bottle of Buchanan Black and White Scotch Whisky that Valmont is holding and drinking from. I'm going to focus on the following brands:
Martell Three Star Cognac
The Martell distillery has been in operation since 1715 in Charente, in the Cognac region of France. Distilery founder Jean Martell (1694-1753) was from a family of merchants that were based on the isle of Jersey. Martell emigrated to France and set up a trading house and later a distillery that would become known as the House of Martell.
The Martell Three-Star Cognac (now known as the Martell V.S.) comes in at 80 proof/40% abv. As per the listing Martell V.S. Cognac from the Difford's Guide website:
Martell's 'Very Special' cognac was created in the middle of the 19th century and is one of the most recognizable bottles in the world. It is blended from eaux-de-vie, mainly from Fins Bois, a Cognac region noted for its quick maturation so giving this V.S. a fruity charter. Martel V.S. is blended from 20 to 30 eaux-de-vie which are typically matured for a little over two years.
Click on the link for the Martell V.S. Cognac for a more in depth flavor review. To learn more about the house of Martell, I recommend that you read the article Profile: The House of Martell from the Luxury Insider Magazine website dated November 16, 2011. I also go into detail on the concept of Bon Bois and Fins Bois in my post Ian Fleming's Goldfinger (1964) Part I from February 3, 2014.
Tio Pepe Sherry
Tio Pepe is the world's best selling sherry brand that is made from palomino fino grapes. The Jerez region of southern Spain has a special kind of chalky soil that the palomino fino grapes thrive in. Tio Pepe is best known for its best known for its fino style of dry sherry which is aged for a minimum of 5 years. It comes in at 30 proof/15% abv. The name for the brand comes from the founder of Tio Pepe's parent company González Byass.
In 1841 Manuel Maria González Angel named his pale very dry white wine after his "Tio Pepe." Why? According to the article 175 años de constancia by Juan Pedro Simo from El Diario de Jerez dated July 4, 2010:
EL TÍO PEPE ’. The winery is going from strength to strength. So much success without knowing anything about wines seemed like a miracle. There was a character behind: José Ángel de la Peña, Manuel María's uncle, who introduced him to wine and business. In compensation, MM gave his counselor a small cellar to grow a fine wine to his liking. José Ángel did what he asked and only demanded that he give him the keys to enter and leave as he pleased. Some time later Byass sent several batches to London as a sample and the results were excellent. So effective was his reception among consumers that MM himself approached one day to his uncle's little cellar to write on one of his boots: 'Solera Tío Pepe'. There is, therefore, a ‘Tío Pepe’ of flesh and blood. This was the little story of the birth of the most universal fine of González Byass (translated from Spanish.)
For a review of Tio Pepe Sherry, check out the post Review: Tio Pepe Fino Sherry by Adam Teeter from Vinepair website.
Carpano Punt e Mes
Punt e Mes is an Italian aromatized wine that is described by Punch in their post Bringing it Back Bar: What to Do With Punt e Mes as an aperitif that "straddles the line between sweet Italian vermouth and amaro." The name Punt e Mas comes from its origin story. According to the Carpano website for Punt e Mes:
"The story goes that on 19 April 1870 , a stockbroker, caught up in a discussion with colleagues whilst in the Carpano wine shop about the increase in share prices on that day – one and a half points – ordered his usual Carpano vermouth but asked for the barman to add half a measure of bitter, using the regional expression “Punt e Mes”. The drink immediately became popular as an aperitif before lunch, as recalled by the barman of the time Maurizio Boeris."
The taste and texture of the Punt e Mes is described by Carpano as follows:
"Punt e Mes has a golden orange color with topaz tones, herby aromas and dark red, black dahlia with vermilion shades. The initial taste is one of sweetness, characterised by an intriguing accent of orange. This is followed by the characteristically bitter taste of the quina and ends on a sweet note."
Punt e Mes clocks in at 32 proof/16% abv.
For my next post on Danger Diabolik (1968) Part II, I will take a look at one of the world's best known Scotch Whisky brands. This one brings back memories since it is a whisky that my dad would drink when I was a kid: Dewars White Label Scotch Whisky.
Until Then May You Have Some Happy, Safe and Responsible Drinking,
SiscoVanilla
#SiscoVanilla
#SiscoVanillaHasABrewski
#SiscoVanillaBeerChronicles
#SiscoVanillaAtTheMovies
For my next post on Danger Diabolik (1968) Part II, I will take a look at one of the world's best known Scotch Whisky brands. This one brings back memories since it is a whisky that my dad would drink when I was a kid: Dewars White Label Scotch Whisky.
Until Then May You Have Some Happy, Safe and Responsible Drinking,
SiscoVanilla
#SiscoVanilla
#SiscoVanillaHasABrewski
#SiscoVanillaBeerChronicles
#SiscoVanillaAtTheMovies
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