Today’s question comes to us from our friend Basil Sands. What is your charcter’s favorite drink, and what does it say about his (or her) view of the world?
24 thoughts on “Reader Friday: What’s Your Character’s Favorite Drink?”
Depends, if it’s Quick Jimmy Kelley then it’s Rye with a beer back. Joseph Aloysius Smith is a bit more urbane and prefers Cinzano or Vermouth on the rocks. Benny and Roger on the other hand don’t give a damn so long as your buying!
Through the Cotten Stone thriller series (THE GRAIL CONSPIRACY, THE LAST SECRET, THE HADES PROJECT, and THE 731 LEGACY), Cotten enjoyed sipping Absolut Swedish vodka. In THE PHOENIX APOSTLES, science journalist, Seneca Hunt, preferred Jack Daniels. And in my upcoming thriller, THE BLADE, OSI federal agent Maxine Decker is a fan of Johnnie Walker Black. All three are strong-willed women and their choice of drinks reflects their demeanor.
My major characters are always doctors, so their drink of choice is coffee, with Diet Coke in second place. What does that say about them? Too few hours in the day, a harried lifestyle with a slight tip of the hat to a healthier one.
Max Quarry doesn’t really have a favorite drink, though he’ll grab a beer once in a while, but he does have one he detests: coffee. I think I’ve got a line where he says something like, “I’d rather drink a hot cup of liquified crap.”
His partner, Dylan, rarely drinks anything but water, because she’s determined never to be off guard or have anything in her body that reduces her control.
Both of my series leads drink beer. Bass or Fosters if they can get it. They’re from working class roots but neither is a lowest common denominator kind of guy.
“Monster” Energy drink. She likes the sugar and the caffeine. I don’t approve of her drinking that because it’s bad for her health, but my characters sometimes have minds of their own.
It’s also really hard on her thyroid. Please caution her.
Kids don’t listen. Not even fictional ones.
Mabel is a beer drinker. Unless someone offers to buy her a drink. Then it’s a shot of Redbreast.
Ha! Fun question. Louis Kincaid drinks:
Black coffee with four sugars Dr Pepper * Heineken Christian Brothers when he’s strapped Courvoisier when he’s flush.
* and yeah, I got letters reminding me there’s no period in Dr Pepper.
Sambucca Romana. It’s mine, too. Whaddaya thing it means? Huh?
I actually know this for my female leads. Ruth’s favourite is Earl Grey tea, Carol’s is peppermint (she says it smells like freedom). Not sure what it says about them, though, other than they like their creature comforts. Good question to get us thinking!
Super easy: my main character is a British woman, trying to sort out her life, relationships and career. She’s constantly gulping down tea. Typhoo, Earl Grey, Darjeeling, she’s not fussy.
Miller Lite and Tab. 🙂
She’s old school. Grew up on mama’s and papa’s drinks. Thank goodness she doesn’t smoke.
“To this day I drank bourbon thanks to my daddy. The occasional taste for wine came from Mom. My mood dictated which I preferred, which often meant a can of beer just to be me.” Protagonist – Carolina Slade in Lowcountry Bribe, Bell Bridge Books. Set in rural coastal South Carolina
Ah thanks for posting this one Kathryn.
Retired Marine Master Sergeant Marcus ‘Mojo’ Johnson is partial to thick dark stout or porter from the UK, monastery brews from western Europe and his own home-brew recipe. What’s it say about him? He’s a mellow guy who likes to relax but is complex and deeper than one might expect.
CIA Agent Kharzai Ghiassi loves the fig wine he had when under cover in Iran but has never been able to find another like it. Otherwise it is water or green tea, cuz his needs are simple…smile a lot and make the bad guy’s life hell, then kill them.
Jack has a love/hate battle with good scotch and a Starbucks addiction. His partner and ex-girlfriend Sydney favors cold caffeine. His friend and mentor Lenny from Interpol enjoys beer from around the world. Eric, their young computer wizard fights hard to keep his Mt.Dew intake at a reasonable level and away from the keyboard.
Sounds like a lot of variety out there. I wonder how many of the character’s favourites are also the writer’s favourites? 😉
In my case, there’s definitely a correlation! Kate Gallagher is always trying to lose weight, so her first reach is for the Diet Coke. When things get emo, however, it’s a glass of Chardonnay.
Ew, no, dislike both beer and whiskey. More of a tea drinker, me.
Hmmm, hadn’t really thought about it. However, this passage gives me an indication:
“Other than a run down Gulfport way to bail a developer out of a RICO case involving post-Katrina FEMA fraud, it’d been too long since I’d seen water that didn’t have bourbon mixed with it.”
She also drinks coffee.
Basil in regards to your question, I am a hot tea and gin and tonic kind of girl, so the answer is no in my case.
Terri
Ursula always seems to be drinking either a cup of tea or champagne. Sounds good to me either way!
My character eats and drinks what’s local. Since she’s in Greece in my current book, she enjoys Mythos beer and Retsina wine. She can always drink Shiner when she’s home in Dallas.
I’m a little late to the party, but Jonathan Grave likes a Beefeater martini )straight-up with olives) before dinner, and a finger or two of Lagavulin scotch in the evening.
Depends, if it’s Quick Jimmy Kelley then it’s Rye with a beer back.
Joseph Aloysius Smith is a bit more urbane and prefers Cinzano or Vermouth on the rocks.
Benny and Roger on the other hand don’t give a damn so long as your buying!
Through the Cotten Stone thriller series (THE GRAIL CONSPIRACY, THE LAST SECRET, THE HADES PROJECT, and THE 731 LEGACY), Cotten enjoyed sipping Absolut Swedish vodka. In THE PHOENIX APOSTLES, science journalist, Seneca Hunt, preferred Jack Daniels. And in my upcoming thriller, THE BLADE, OSI federal agent Maxine Decker is a fan of Johnnie Walker Black. All three are strong-willed women and their choice of drinks reflects their demeanor.
My major characters are always doctors, so their drink of choice is coffee, with Diet Coke in second place. What does that say about them? Too few hours in the day, a harried lifestyle with a slight tip of the hat to a healthier one.
Max Quarry doesn’t really have a favorite drink, though he’ll grab a beer once in a while, but he does have one he detests: coffee. I think I’ve got a line where he says something like, “I’d rather drink a hot cup of liquified crap.”
His partner, Dylan, rarely drinks anything but water, because she’s determined never to be off guard or have anything in her body that reduces her control.
Both of my series leads drink beer. Bass or Fosters if they can get it. They’re from working class roots but neither is a lowest common denominator kind of guy.
“Monster” Energy drink. She likes the sugar and the caffeine. I don’t approve of her drinking that because it’s bad for her health, but my characters sometimes have minds of their own.
It’s also really hard on her thyroid. Please caution her.
Kids don’t listen. Not even fictional ones.
Mabel is a beer drinker. Unless someone offers to buy her a drink. Then it’s a shot of Redbreast.
Ha! Fun question. Louis Kincaid drinks:
Black coffee with four sugars
Dr Pepper *
Heineken
Christian Brothers when he’s strapped
Courvoisier when he’s flush.
* and yeah, I got letters reminding me there’s no period in Dr Pepper.
Sambucca Romana. It’s mine, too. Whaddaya thing it means? Huh?
I actually know this for my female leads. Ruth’s favourite is Earl Grey tea, Carol’s is peppermint (she says it smells like freedom). Not sure what it says about them, though, other than they like their creature comforts. Good question to get us thinking!
Super easy: my main character is a British woman, trying to sort out her life, relationships and career. She’s constantly gulping down tea. Typhoo, Earl Grey, Darjeeling, she’s not fussy.
Miller Lite and Tab. 🙂
She’s old school. Grew up on mama’s and papa’s drinks. Thank goodness she doesn’t smoke.
“To this day I drank bourbon thanks to my daddy. The occasional taste for wine came from Mom. My mood dictated which I preferred, which often meant a can of beer just to be me.” Protagonist – Carolina Slade in Lowcountry Bribe, Bell Bridge Books. Set in rural coastal South Carolina
Ah thanks for posting this one Kathryn.
Retired Marine Master Sergeant Marcus ‘Mojo’ Johnson is partial to thick dark stout or porter from the UK, monastery brews from western Europe and his own home-brew recipe. What’s it say about him? He’s a mellow guy who likes to relax but is complex and deeper than one might expect.
CIA Agent Kharzai Ghiassi loves the fig wine he had when under cover in Iran but has never been able to find another like it. Otherwise it is water or green tea, cuz his needs are simple…smile a lot and make the bad guy’s life hell, then kill them.
Jack has a love/hate battle with good scotch and a Starbucks addiction. His partner and ex-girlfriend Sydney favors cold caffeine. His friend and mentor Lenny from Interpol enjoys beer from around the world. Eric, their young computer wizard fights hard to keep his Mt.Dew intake at a reasonable level and away from the keyboard.
Sounds like a lot of variety out there. I wonder how many of the character’s favourites are also the writer’s favourites? 😉
In my case, there’s definitely a correlation! Kate Gallagher is always trying to lose weight, so her first reach is for the Diet Coke. When things get emo, however, it’s a glass of Chardonnay.
Ew, no, dislike both beer and whiskey. More of a tea drinker, me.
Hmmm, hadn’t really thought about it. However, this passage gives me an indication:
“Other than a run down Gulfport way to bail a developer out of a RICO case involving post-Katrina FEMA fraud, it’d been too long since I’d seen water that didn’t have bourbon mixed with it.”
She also drinks coffee.
Basil in regards to your question, I am a hot tea and gin and tonic kind of girl, so the answer is no in my case.
Terri
Ursula always seems to be drinking either a cup of tea or champagne. Sounds good to me either way!
My character eats and drinks what’s local. Since she’s in Greece in my current book, she enjoys Mythos beer and Retsina wine. She can always drink Shiner when she’s home in Dallas.
I’m a little late to the party, but Jonathan Grave likes a Beefeater martini )straight-up with olives) before dinner, and a finger or two of Lagavulin scotch in the evening.
John Gilstrap
http://www.johngilstrap.com