Movie Drinking Lexicon Study

“I like how wine continues to evolve, like if I opened a bottle of wine today it would taste different than if I’d opened it on any other day, because a bottle of wine is actually alive. And it’s constantly evolving and gaining complexity.” – Sideways 2004

Drinks – alcholic and not – are often present in movie script, and in some occasions a quote or a scene made the success of a drink for years.

Because of that, we decided to pursue this route. At Vinarium we identified a sample of 1237 movie script from IMSDB.com. With a tool called Screaming Frog, we analyzed the number of times each type of drink was mentioned in each script.

While identifying popular drinks, we applied rules that would identify them as single words rather than part of a word (i.e.: teacher), we also removed terms that can be used in different contexts such as names or commonly used words.

Key findings:

  • – Sideways has the largest amounf of drinks, 92 alcholic and 5 non halcolic
  • – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo mentions mostly non halcolic drink, 38
  • – Coffee is the most mentioned non-alcholic drink, followed by Tea
  • – Beer is the most mentioned alcholic drink, followed by Wine
  • – Coffee and Beer make over the 50% of the total drinks

Why drinks are consumed or referenced

Alcoholic drinks dominate in group settings, while non-alcoholic drinks thrive in solitary moments. Alcohol is inherently social in films, whether at parties, bars, or tense negotiations, often driving interactions, conflicts, or bonding.
On the other hand, coffee, tea, and other non-alcoholic drinks frequently appear in solo moments, late-night work, deep thought, or personal moments. This contrast suggests that drinks don’t just reflect preferences; they visually reinforce whether a character is engaging with the world or retreating into their own space.

"Wine is a cinematic symbol of sophistication, intimacy, and depth. Unlike beer, which is often linked to casual or party settings, wine frequently appears in moments of elegance, deep conversations, and celebration. Its presence in films consistently represents refinement, romance, and meaningful exchanges, making it a drink that signifies both status and emotion."

Alcohol-heavy movies often revolve around themes of indulgence, excess, and transformation, whether through wild parties, personal struggles, or cultural rituals. Non-alcoholic drinks like coffee and tea seem to dominate in films that thrive on conversation, intellect, or quiet tension, almost as if they serve as the fuel for deep exchanges and introspection.

This suggests that what characters drink is more than just a background detail, it’s a storytelling tool that create atmosphere, mood, and even character psychology.

Data
Download the data source of the above analysis.