Cult-TV Theme Watch: Booze

“Booze” is a slang term for liquor or alcohol, and it has played a prominent part in cult-television series throughout history. 

Even when countenancing world-building in other solar systems or galaxies, series writers and creators have imagined that far-off alien races will -- like humans -- consume alcoholic beverages.

In Star Trek (1966 – 1969), the U.S.S. Enterprise’s over-worked chief engineer, Mr. Scott (James Doohan) is widely known for loving his scotch.  In the second season episode “By Any Other Name,” Scotty drinks an alien being (a Kelvin) under the table, and when he can’t remember the name of one beverage in his stash, he notes simply that it is “green”

In “The Enemy Within,” Captain Kirk’s (William Shatner) evil duplicate, created by a transporter accident, demands Saurian brandy from Dr. McCoy. 

And in ‘The Menagerie,” an expansion of the original series pilot, we meet Dr. Boyce (John Hoyt), who tells Captain Pike (Jeffrey Hunter) that a man will tell his “bartender” things that he’ll never tell his doctor.

In “The Enterprise Incident,” Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), pretending to be a turncoat, enjoys a toast of Romulan Ale with a Romulan Commander (Joanne Linville). This moment would have repercussions in the movie series of the 1970s-1990s, as Romulan Ale was featured frequently in the films.

Later iterations of Star Trek, such as The Next Generation (1987 – 1994) and Deep Space Nine (1993 – 1999) have added other drinks to the Trek universe, including Klingon Blood Wine.

In Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s UFO (1969-1970), it is revealed that Commander Ed Straker (Ed Bishop) never drinks alcohol, and because of this remark some fans have wondered if he is a recovering alcoholic.  In a flashback story, “Confetti Check A-OK” we see him share a bottle of champagne with his wife while on honeymoon.

Another Anderson series Space: 1999 (1975 – 1977) also featured “booze” on a few occasions. In the Year One story “The Black Sun,” Professor Victor Bergman (Barry Morse) pulls out a special bottle of scotch upon the event of Moonbase Alpha’s apparent imminent destruction.  With the moon falling into the gravitational pull of a black hole, he and Commander John Koenig (Martin Landau) sit in Main Mission, and toast to “everything that was.”

In Year Two, Security Chief Tony Verdeschi (Tony Anholt) is at the center of a recurring sub-plot. In particular, he is attempting -- far from home -- to brew his own beer using a home-made and jury-rigged still.  The results are often atrocious, and everyone on Alpha knows to steer clear of his concoctions.

In Glen Larson’s Battlestar Galactica (1978), the episode titled “The Long Patrol” involves alcohol, particularly the drink known as ambrosia (sometimes “amgrosia,” depending on the source.).

In particular, the fleet is running short on the alcohol, but Lt. Starbuck (Dirk Benedict) -- on long range patrol ahead of the fleet -- discovers a new source.  He discovers a lost penal colony where the convicts make the drink day and night, and have been storing it on a docking platform for generations.  Unfortunately, a Cylon raid destroys the supply…

Joss Whedon’s Firefly (2002) meanwhile, introduced the world to another futuristic alcoholic concoction in the episode “Jaynestown.” On a planet of “mudders,” the denizens drink “mudder’s milk,” a high-protein alcoholic beverage.

Outside of stories and series set on other worlds, The Simpsons (1990 - ) has regularly featured its own brand of alcohol: Duff Beer. 

And a fourth season episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997 – 2003) called “Beer Bad” finds Buffy and some obnoxious frat guys transforming into cave people after imbibing a special brew.