Daniel Craig's Preferred Cocktail Is Awful. We Can Fix That.

Tucked away in The Guardian‘s very good and revealing interview with James Bond actor Daniel Craig is one unfortunate personal revelation.

Among questions from other actors are a few reader inquiries, including one from a person who goes by “Welshman.” He asks, “We all know what Bond’s favorite alcoholic drink is. What’s yours?”

To which the 53-year old Craig replies, “I’d like a vodka and soda with fresh lime right now. But tomorrow I might like a whisky. I don’t drink as much as I used to, but when I do drink I like to keep it clean.”

No, Daniel Craig doesn’t have to drink Vespers or (incorrectly) shaken martinis or anything out of the surprisingly excellent and official 007 cocktail book Shaken. The man needs to stay in shape, and the vodka and soda is … well, it’s the skinny person drink, right? It’s also unbelievably dull. And vodka doesn’t have to be uninteresting — it just needs to know its place in the larger drinks ensemble.

“When I started bartending, I would always hear other bartenders rag on vodka, because of this notion that it does nothing for a cocktail,” as Miles Caballes, a bartender at West Hollywood’s cocktail den Bibo Ergo Sum, told us a little while back. “Vodka may never be the star in most cocktails, but it is one of the finest supporting actors.”

So, Mr. Bond (uh, Mr. Craig), think of your drinks more like your role in Knives Out: a single, key part in a bigger cast. And you’ll want to rely on your co-stars. “Vodka is versatile,” as Omar Romo, a bartender at the Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya, told us. “It can be easily combined with a wide variety of flavors, including lavender, coconut, caramel and ginger.”

The bartenders we asked all had simple fixes for the maligned vodka and soda: Like Daniel does, add a bit of citrus. But also, add bitters. Maybe a spoonful of preserves. Or a pinch of sugar, salt or cracked pepper. At the very least, switch to a mineral water like Topo Chico.

And whatever you do, don’t shake it.