Cocktail’s Brian Flanagan named best TV barman
Ultimate 80s character Brian Flanagan played by Tom Cruise has been named the nation’s all time favourite barman claiming 42% of the vote in a poll conducted Dirty Martini which has premier cocktail bars located in Covent Garden and newly opened Hanover Square.
The top five TV barmen to grace the silver screen:
1. Brian Flanagan (Tom Cruise) in Cocktail
2. Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson) in Cheers
3. Costas (Tom Conti) in Shirley Valentine
4. Lil (Maria Bello) in Coyote Ugly
5. Fat Sam (John Cassisi) in Bugsy Malone
Un - happy Hour
Lloyd (Joe Turkel) in the Shining and Bob (Jeff Morris) in Blues Brothers trail behind the other classic cocktail-makers with 4 per cent and 7 per cent respectively.
Cocktails & Dreams
Like the expert mixologist and flairer Brian Flanagan the team at Dirty Martini are focused on offering customers a delectable combination of classic and modern cocktails with a twist taking changing cocktail tastes into consideration. Dirty Martini’s research shows that Brits have broken with tradition and prefer their martinis shaken and not stirred. In addition, three-quarters (76 per cent) would prefer an alternative with a modern twist. To keep the legacy of the ultimate classic cocktail – the Dirty Martini alive, mixologists have developed the formula for the perfect martini, based on changing tastes:
Matt Greenwood, general manager of Dirty Martini said, “We have many aspiring stars as part of our team at Dirty Martini, with each team member knowing the latest tricks of the trade and we’re not surprised that the classic Tom Cruise character has topped the poll, he’s always the first barman that springs to mind. The research does show is that the cocktails and bar skills play a pivotal role in cinema, with so many memorable scenes taking place behind the bar. It’s when characters impress their clientele, create some real masterpieces and can be seen at their most relaxed and this paves the way for some truly unforgettable movie moments.”
“It’s fascinating to see that martini tastes are evolving – a third (36 per cent) of under 25s claim to prefer a modern martini to the classic one and the desire for the drink to be shaken and not stirred – perhaps due to the influence of film and TV shows. It is exactly because of this that we have such a vast array of modern twists on the classic drink available at Dirty Martini, such as the Hey-Berry and Sunset Martinis and we offer to make the classic dirty martini either stirred or shaken according to customer taste”.
The Perfect Martini, now being trialled by Dirty Martini:
What you need:
50ml vodka
20ml vermouth
Ice
Olive to garnish
Chilled martini glass
Method:
Ensure that your martini glass has been in the freezer for at least an hour so that it is completely chilled.
Add the vodka and vermouth to a cocktail shaker and fill it up with ice.
Shake for 10-15 seconds – this will chill the drink to around four degrees centigrade as well as melt the ice, which will water the cocktail down slightly.
Strain the drink in to a chilled martini glass.
Garnish with an olive.