WandaVision is the latest expansion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe onto the Disney+ streaming platform, and folks, I love it!

I don’t follow superhero franchises as religiously as some of my friends, but as a purveyor of culture I’m not entirely unfamiliar with the infinite worlds that Marvel and DC comics are constantly building. Suicide Squad is one of my favorite bad movies, Birds of Prey is actually fantastic, Into the Spiderverse is a must-see animated masterpiece, and I think I saw Age of Ultron with my roommate in college? And Guardians of the Galaxy…2? There’s a lot to keep up with in the world of action-packed superhero franchises.

Anyway, into the reason why we’ve all gathered here today: WandaVision. This show is an absolute delight. I won’t spoil the mechanics of the show’s universe, but I will give up a bit of its gimmick. Throughout the mini-series, WandaVision builds a fantastical show-within-a-show that campifies the tropes of different eras of American TV sitcoms. If you enjoy classic television, there are countless references and gags throughout WandaVision that are cleverly integrated into the show’s super storyline. For Marvel junkies and culturistas alike, WandaVision has something for everyone.

In celebration of the series’ finale tonight, I’m taking us through decades of iconic cocktails to pair up with the television eras that WandaVision emulates throughout its elaborate meta-plot. Read on to reflect back on this spectacularly crafted mini-series and learn a bit of cocktail history!

The 1950s: Martini

It is thought by cocktail historians that the Manhattan begat the Martinez begat the martini! Gin surged in popularity in the US during prohibition as it was relatively easy to make and procure on the sly, but as the US began importing vodka from Russia during the 1950s, the martini became one of the most popular cocktails for members of metropolitan society.

And though James Bond prefers his martini shaken, the martini is properly prepared stirred. The more movement the ice gets, the more watered down the cocktail becomes—experiment to decide how you prefer to have yours prepared! You can even toss in some olive juice to make it “dirty.”

Ingredients:
3 oz vodka
1 oz dry vermouth
3 olives

Preparation:
Combine vodka and vermouth in a glass with ice and stir until well chilled.
Strain into a classic martini glass and garnish with olives pierced on a cocktail skewer (preferably one of the cute ones that looks like a little sword!).

The 1960s: Mai Tai

In the 1960s, fruity and tropical drinks were all the rage. Many cocktail historians believe that the Mai Tai surged to popularity during the Vietnam War as the soldiers utilized the country’s delicious native fruits to craft beverages that took their minds off of the atrocities of their day-to-day existences. Fun!

There are several conflicting histories and recipes for this iconic cocktail—here’s a simplified Mai Tai recipe that’ll get the job done and deliver your palate to somewhere sunshiney and sweet!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz spiced rum
1 1/2 oz coconut rum
1 tsp grenadine
3 oz pineapple juice
Crushed ice

Preparation:
Combine coconut rum, grenadine, and pineapple juice in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
Strain into a glass filled with crushed ice and top with spiced rum. Add a cocktail umbrella if you’re feeling whimsical!

The 1970s: Harvey Wallbanger

According to cocktail lore, this classic cocktail was first crafted by California bartender Donato “Duke” Antone for local surfer Tom Harvey. Harvey would (allegedly) get so drunk from these souped-up screwdrivers that he’d start running into walls, thus the drink’s name!

The Harvey Wallbanger contains an Italian liqueur called Galliano that is distilled with a secret concoction of 30 Mediterranean herbs and spices. Due to the success of this cocktail, American cocktail connoisseurs began to seek out new, interesting imported liqueurs to add to their bar carts.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz vodka
4 oz orange juice
1/2 oz Galliano
Orange wedge

Preparation:
Stir vodka and orange juice in a glass with ice to combine.
Float Galliano on top and garnish with an orange wedge.
Bang walls at own risk.

The 1980s: Piña Colada

This tasty summer treat was originally whipped up in Puerto Rico by bartender Ramón “Monchito” Marrero and surged to popularity as cocktail culture grew more mainstream. Shows like Miami Vice and tracks like “Do You Like Piña Coladas?” injected this alcoholic slushie into 80s pop culture!

Ingredients:
1 oz aged rum
1 oz coconut rum
1 1/2 oz coconut cream
1 1/2 oz pineapple juice
Pineapple wedge

Preparation:
Add rums, coconut cream, juice, and ice to a blender and pulse until smooth.
Garnish with a pineapple wedge and adorable cocktail umbrella!

The 1990s: Long Island Iced Tea

In the 90s, bartenders had just about mastered how to mask the taste of alcohol with fruity concoctions and their priorities pivoted to making punches that packed a serious punch. The Long Island Iced Tea contains five different types of liquor—woof!

There are two conflicting tales of this beverage’s origin in the annals of cocktail history. Robert Butt (lol) claims he poured the first Long Island Iced Tea while tending bar at the Oak Beach Inn in 1972 while others attribute the cocktail’s origins to bootlegger Charles “Old Man” Bishop who operated out of Long Island, Tennessee in the 1920s. After all of my research for this email, I’m inclined to trust the guy with the nickname in quotation marks.

Ingredients:
1/2 oz light rum
1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz vodka
1/2 oz tequila
1/2 oz triple sec
1 oz sour mix
Splash of cola
Lemon wedge

Preparation:
Add rum, gin, vodka, tequila, triple sec, and sour mix to a tall glass filled with ice and stir gently to combine.
Top with cola and garnish with lemon wedge.

The 2000s: Hard Seltzer

This pairing may be more apt for the 2010s or 2020s, but I’d be loathe to put together a then-to-now drinking history lesson without having the chance to acknowledge the contributions of my people: Millennials.

Millennials LOVE hard seltzer. They love hard seltzer so much that they created a nationwide White Claw shortage over the summer of 2019. Now, every big beverage company has created their own seltzer to compete in this lucrative market. Millennials may be killing just about everything else, but they’re contributing to the growth of the alcoholic beverages industry in record-breaking ways.

My personal favorite hard seltzer line is High Noon! While many seltzers contain miscellaneous malt liquors and unlisted flavoring ingredients, High Noon is made with vodka and real fruit juice. They’re refreshing, tasty, and contain alcohol—what more could you ask for?

And remember: Ain’t no laws when you’re drinking Claws!

Cheers,

Julia Cooper