The Timothy Dalton Cocktail

By Greg Bechtloff

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Continuing our series of cocktails for the James Bond actors on their birthdays, MI6 unveils the Timothy Dalton cocktail for his birthday on March 21st. Director John Glen said that Timothy Dalton would be a “harder type of Bond” as they filmed Dalton’s debut in THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS. Dalton’s follow-up Bond film LICENCE TO KILL took the series into even tougher terrain.

Widely acknowledged as being ahead of his time, Dalton’s two turns as 007 pre-figured the grittier yet more human approach of Daniel Craig. Dalton sourced his characterization in the Ian Fleming books rather than the more orthodox approach of Sean Connery and Roger Moore to the role. Dalton’s Shakespearean training pre-disposed him to put special emphasis on the character to be found in the original texts.

Drawing on all these aspects of the Dalton persona, this cocktail reflects a harder approach, eschewing overt sweetness. An avowed sport fisherman, the Dalton cocktail updates The Angler’s Cocktail.

The gin represents British tradition. The dash of grenadine suggests the blood we see in the 007 gunbarrel sequence. The mead evokes Shakespeare and other historical epics that Timothy Dalton excelled in. One contemporaneous Bond profile of Dalton stressed that the actor’s Royal Shakespeare Company role as Hotspur in 1982 was a warm-up for Bond. The author wittily commented that Harry Percy was the medieval James Bond!

In a chilled martini glass with ice, pour:

2 ounces Gin

1 dash grenadine

1 ounce mead (some will be sweeter, some dry...your choice)

Shake and strain, pour into a martini glass.

Just remember to enjoy responsibly. Too many of the Timothy Dalton cocktails may make your face SCARLETT and your mouth feel like HOT FUZZ.

About The Author

Greg Bechtloff hails from Huntington Beach, California. Introduced to the world of 007 by his parents through the cinema, he’s been infatuated with Ian Fleming’s creation for over 35 years. With wide ranging interests, he has drilled down to the very foundations of the character of James Bond. Greg has worked in many positions in varied industries. He has travelled extensively and has visited many James Bond locations all over the world. He has recently become certified as a professional bartender, another aspect of the Bondian world that he has always been interested in.