"Mr. Pink's Cocktail" & "Mr. Blonde's Cocktail" Recipe (Inspired by "Reservoir Dogs")

 "Mr. Pink's Cocktail" & "Mr. Blonde's Cocktail" (Inspired by "Reservoir Dogs")

By: The Film Bartender

    Quentin Tarantino is regarded as one of the best and most influential filmmakers of all time. He has released films like "Pulp Fiction", "Inglourious Basterds", and so many more. Like everyone else, Tarantino had to start somewhere, and he released his first film called "Reservoir Dogs". That film is the basis for the next three drinks, starting with cocktails inspired by Steve Buscemi's Mr. Pink and Michael Madsens's Mr. Blonde. Keep reading to find out more about this film and to find the full recipes for these drinks below!

    Quentin Tarantino worked at a video store in Hollywood when he wrote the script for "Reservoir Dogs", shopping it around different producers, hoping to get his name out there and for someone to finance his film. Well, sooner or later, it got into the hands of Harvey Keitel, who already established himself as a fantastic actor and a higher-up in the film business. He absolutely loved the script, and not only decided to help fund this film, but wanted to star in the film as Mr. White. 

    "Reservoir Dogs" was released in 1992, and starred Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Steve Buscemi, Chris Penn, Lawrence Tierney, Edward Bunker, and Tarantino himself. Tarantino also directed the script he penned. The film revolves around six criminals who are going to attempt to pull of a diamond store heist. These criminals have no idea who each other are, including not knowing their names. They refer to each other as the colors that their boss, Joe Cabot, assigned them: Mr. White, Mr. Orange, Mr. Blonde, Mr. Blue, Mr. Pink, and Mr. Brown.

    They think the jewelry heist will go off without a hitch. However, what they weren't expecting were the cops to show up right away, opening fire on the criminals and killing two of them. The surviving robbers meet back at their rendezvous point, trying to piece together what really happened when they got to the jewelry store. What they come to the conclusion of is that someone in their group is a rat, and working for the police. It is now up to the four remaining criminals and Cabot and his son to figure out who exactly tipped off the police before it is way too late. 

    It was released at Sundance Film Festival, where it drew massive praise and became the festival's most talked-about film. It then spread to other film festivals, in places like Cannes, Toronto, and Sitges. Due to its massive praise at these film festivals, it was picked up by Miramax for a theatrical release. Worldwide, it grossed close to $8 million in the box office, which was very impressive for an independent film of the time.

    On a critic's standpoint, it was hailed as a marvel and an important, influential milestone in independent filmmaking. Critics were saying that audiences were not ready for this film to be released, and it totally changed the way independent filmmaking was done and perceived by the audiences. However, it did receive massive criticism by some for its graphic use of language and violence, which was gloriously on display throughout the entire runtime. However, this is just the start of Tarantino's influential career, and many filmmakers nowadays have lots to owe to Tarantino and his very impressive filmography. 

    Our two cocktails today are inspired by perhaps the two fan favorite and most memorable characters, Mr. Pink and Mr. Blonde! Buscemi is able to lend his snarky attitude to this role, making the audience crack up at some of his jokes, starting with the opening monologue about why he doesn't tip waitresses. Then, we have Mr. Blonde, who is the complete opposite compared to Buscemi's character. He seems very suave and cool, but is truly a psychopath deep down, as evident when he slices off the ear of a police officer. 

Mr. Pink's Cocktail

Ingredients:

- 1 oz Pink Whitney

- 1/2 oz Lime Juice

- 1/2 oz Cranberry Juice

- Ice

Directions:

1. In a cocktail shaker, add ice. Then add all of the ingredients. Shake vigorously until well combined. 

2. Strain into a rocks glass with ice. Serve. 

Mr. Blonde's Cocktail

Ingredients:

- 1 oz Whiskey

- 1 oz Vodka

- 1/2 oz Lemon Juice

- 1/2 oz Simple Syrup

- 2 oz Lemonade

Directions:

1. In a cocktail shaker with ice, add all of the ingredients. Shake vigorously until well combined.

2. Strain into a rocks glass with ice. Serve. 

Film Fact: Madonna, who is a main topic of the opening scene of "Reservoir Dogs", really liked this film, but refuted Quentin Tarantino's interpretation of her song "Like a Virgin". She gave him a copy of her "Erotica" album, and signed "To Quentin. It's not about dick, it's about love. Madonna."

    You have now made your very own cocktails based off these two crowd-favorite characters from "Reservoir Dogs"! Let me know what you think of these cocktails and this breakout film in the comments below! Come back tomorrow for the recipes for two of the other criminals, Mr. Blue and Mr. Brown! Until then, happy drinking!