to this little departure from our normal walk to explore the food and drink of SMK with Learjet. I have the dubious distinction of having had beverage-related job and qualification (plus I really like food and SMK) so this post seemed a natural fit for me. Watch out for Learjet’s drinking tips in this first post…
Juice and soda
A popular breakfast drink in the King household (If Thoughts Could Kill),
beware of OJ…because SMK baddies like it for breakfast too (Service Above and Beyond).
Learjet’s Tip no 1: Orange juice may transform you into a baddie. Consume it with caution.
Soda or as I like to call it: fizzy drinks. Without getting into debates about the pros and cons of sugar, it’s a popular choice, with Amanda “the journalist” enjoying one on the sports’ field (Sudden Death) – in fact, it may be a way of attracting a kiss whether you want it…
Or not 
Lee or Bela? Now who would I choose? I just don’t know 
Learjet’s Tip no 2: A soda might get you a kiss…but maybe not from the right person.
Amanda’s lemonade made the perfect birthday party drink…
…however her smoothies (The ACM Kid), while showing Amanda to be ahead of her time, were evidently less palatable.
Did Phillip share this with Alexei? Flush it done the loo? Or force-feed it to Jamie as cruel and unusual form of sibling punishment?
Milk
One of those iconic moments in SMK
(Ship of Spies)
Learjet’s tip no 3: Buy milk. Your chances of finding Lee will rise (as high as your chances of winning the lottery 
). (Anyone know what type of milk that is? Full-fat? Low-fat?Just so I can increase the odds 
)
It seems that Lee likes milk in his coffee (The Three Faces of Emily)
and Amanda likes her milk au naturel
or with cookies (if she’s got amnesia and it’s a strange man offering it to her)
Tea
Possibly the beverage most strongly associated with the SMK baddie is tea. And it’s not about the tea, it’s all about presentation.
Learjet’s tip no 4: If you don’t want to be mistaken for a baddie, drink your tea out of a plain white cup with matching teapot. No gilt or decorative swirls allowed.
Baddie teacups and pot:
1. Failed tip 4 due to presence of gilt (Fearless Dotty)
2. Failed tip 4 due to colour of cups and pot (Saved by the Bells)
3. Failed tip 4 due to material and style of pot (The Long Christmas Eve)
4. Oops, the Princess had better be careful that the Agency doesn’t arrest her for baddie tea behaviour 
(Waiting for Godorsky)
Both Dotty and Amanda enjoy a nice cup of tea.
Note the muted, restrained colour and style of their tea equipment (I Am Not Now, Nor Have I Ever…).
It has the added bonus that Dean’s mom doesn’t like it – look at that sour face – I am Not Now, Nor Have I Ever….).
Oops, that teashop is suspicious. Be careful, Dotty and Amanda! (Fearless Dotty)
And finally, did Lee and Amanda have tea at Buckingham Palace (To Catch a Mongoose)? Or did Amanda settle for Claridges?
Lee and Amanda have tea and cucumber sandwiches with Lord Bromfield after the leak of the “affair” between Lord Bromfield and Amanda (Affair of Bromfield Hall).
Coffee
Coffee in SMK means…Lee’s coffee mug 
The thermos cup just isn’t good enough for S1 Lee (Saviour).
And for those who thinks Lee’s legs are more than OK (and further proof that he like his coffee 
)
Learjet tip no 5: Lee needs his coffee. In the right mug.
There were some bad coffee moments with Eva and Angelo after dinner (Lost and Found)
and Magda demanding coffee from Amanda (Dead Ringer)
But also swoony coffee moments (it’s the hair, the European hair 
– The Legend of Das Geisterschloss)
or Lee opening up to Amanda (Burnout).
And who could forget the KGB agent (aka Emily) in the Three Faces of Emily
or Pearl the persistent waitress (they just want coffee, Pearl! – A Relative Situation)
And for those fans of Neds: coffee at Neds discussing car repairs (Car Wars).
You’re generally safe if someone is drinking coffee, with the exception of this baddie (Fearless Dotty).
Alcohol
Given the era during which SMK takes, we see surprisingly few hip flasks snuck out of jacket pockets in the Bullpen or tumblers with two fingers of whisky in Billy’s office – rather unusually for this time period. Agents are seen drinking when under cover. Which brings me to the first booze sighting in the series (and also, the first tux 
) when Lee poses as a waiter just before he meets Amanda for The First Time.
Other undercover booze moments include one of my favourite SMK moments ever: “And frankly, Ricky Joe, sex with you was always a major disappointment…” (The ACM Kid).
Then there’s the infamous Strawberry Daiquiris made by reluctant “husband” Lee for all their neighbours (There goes the Neighbourhood)
Another good moment (if you can forget the unfortunate incident with the Porsche at the end of the episode) is when Amanda and Lee help out at the auction, Lee going undercover as a cocktail waiter (in a tux 
) in Charity Begins at Home. See how well he cuts a lemon?
Then there’s the unfortunate beer-spilling moment in Munich. Oh Amanda, how could you be so clumsy (and Lee how could you wear that shirt? It deserves to be drowned in beer 
– The Times They Are a Changin’)
Learjet’s tip number 5: Don’t wear loud Hawaiian shirts unless you’re Magnum PI – otherwise someone might “accidentally” spill her drink on you
Thank goodness Lee avoids a similar incident later in the same episode (and he’s changed. And he’s got “the hair”)
Speaking of hair, do you remember this undercover “vodka” moment in the Three Faces of Emily 
?
Does this whisky moment make you feel a bit better (Service Above and Beyond)?
Finally, there’s the poignant scenes with Burnout Lee and his boozing.
(keep that hand to yourself, Lee!)
Occasionally we see our favourite agents indulging when not strictly on duty – Francine at the Princess’s party (Waiting for Godorsky).
Champagne deserves a special mention here. After Christmas punch at the Bullpen (ah, the 80’s 
),
and vodka (and beans) with the Russians in The Long Christmas Eve,
Lee recovers in hospital with a sneaky bottle of Champagne. 
Then we see the beautiful European scenery (and Lee’s beautiful hair) while he’s again enjoying a glass (The Legend of Das Geisterschloss)
Next we have to see the cheap Champagne for Randy – Amanda kindly reminds Lee to remove the price- tag. It seems that Randy is of a similar quality as the Champagne… 
Learjet’s equation no 1: Cheap Champagne=Cheap date
And finally for the most bizarre of the Champagne moments…the imaginary Casablanca Champagne moment, a figment of Amanda’s chicken salad sandwich-addled brain.
Learjet’s equation no 2: Poisoned chicken salad sandwich + Imaginary Champagne = Everything goes red
Before I close off this look back on drinks in Season one and two SMK, I want to issue a warning:
Learjet’s tip number 6: Baddies like posh drinks, especially spirits. Beware of suspicious people who drink expensive alcohol in ornate glassware.
And my final final warning is:
Learjet’s tip number 7: Drink in moderation, JWWM’ers. And remember not to drink on an empty stomach. (Note the empty snack bowl between Lee and Amanda 
)
All that Lee asks is that you can choose a “small but provocative selection of wines” (Remembrance of Things Past”
Which is your favourite Season 1 and 2 drink moment? Have I missed out any good ones? Look forward to hearing from you!
"Just walk with me.." 
I think the Ricky Joe moment is hilarious, but since IWSOD pointed it out, my new favorite drink-related moment is when Amanda hands Lee-in-a-tux her champagne at a party to go off with someone and he drinks from it after she goes. It just seems like such an intimate gesture, and it makes me swoon.
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By the way, if you ever offer Lee coffee, remember that he never takes sugar! Billy, on the other hand, does.
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LOL good information! I certainly won’t be offering either Tea 🙂
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Good point, ScarecrowsAngel! In one of the other food posts, Billy’s love of all things sugary gets some airtime (and of course, who can forget the enormous lollipop he gave Alexei 😀 )
I think the sugar divide gives us a bit of insight in the differences between Billy and Lee as people….
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rofl. I love it!
Where was that Learjet? can you remind me. we may as well link to it.
FYI everyone, Learjet has written two other posts ready to go about food – but Iwsod is squirrelling them away for when there is a written blog post famine!!!
[thank you Learjet!! 🙂 }
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Phew. I’m starting off in good shape. I do not drink much OJ. And on the rare occasion I do, it is in the form of a Mimosa.
Still doing ok – not much of a soda drinker either.
I think Phillip flushed that nasty-looking smoothie down the loo. He’s not yet a teen in TACMK, so I think even he would not give it to his little brother.
Well, I do love milk, and buy it often. Unfortunately, I’ve not yet found Lee lurking behind any of the bottles. If you’re shopping at Target, that yellow cap means 1% milk fat.
I think I’m still doing okay on beverages – I love tea. Hot or iced. But I do sip it out of a plain white mug – no decorations at all. I do have a pretty orange mug that is decorated, but it has no matching teapot (phew!) so I’m good.
And thanks for that link to Claridge’s. Now I want to go there for their afternoon tea. Just got to figure out a way to make that happen….
I do drink coffee on occaision, and I’ve yet to find me a Lee mug. I am still looking….
Hahaha! Love Lee and the strawberry daiquiri moment! He is too funny in that scene! Love how Amanda really sticks it to him! I think that is my favorite SMK drink moment. That or the you stink, Ricky Joe scene!
Sorry I’ve not responded to this fab post until now!!! Gah!
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High tea is a wonderful institution. I’d happily skip lunch and dinner for it. Glad you enjoyed the post, BJo 🙂
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Wow! So much smk beverage to enjoy! Thanks so much for sharing your smk fun with us all Learjet! Hope everyone is well and sorry I’ve been too busy in RL to stop by and get my smk fix- I’ve missed you guys!
Okay. focus iwsod.. good stuff coming… Can’t wait to see what Learjet has come up with!
Juice and soda- for breakfast? Really?! I didn’t notice that!!!
Hey Learjet I love your ability to squeeze in there a Lee and Amanda kissing pic.. nicely done 😉 whahahahaaa… smooth!
And.. when I continued to scroll down and hit ‘or not’ I was LOLing! Too funny!!!
Would anyone choose Bela? Poor Bela!
Haaaaa the look on Phillip’s face with the smoothie is awesome!
Ah Milk. Smk does it’s bit for the dairy industry 😉
Yes!!! Tea is in my view THE iconic smk drink!
Haa! I guess that means the gilt indicates Guilt!!!!
Love it!
I never stopped to think about what they ate with Lord Bromfield.. but oh yeah! We get to see Lee and Amanda have their high tea after all!
You know that ‘Lee’ coffee cup? I saw Big Business the other day (the movie with Bette Midler) and there was a character who had this same mug.. but.. it wasn’t Lee’s 😉 I checked!
LOL at the ‘Bad coffee moments’!
Oh my.. again. Genius Learjet! I love how you can manage to include so many images of Lee with that magically swoony european haircut!
Pearl- ha! Good one learjet, yep they just want coffee!!!!!
Whoo hooo great to see other beverages consumed at Neds other than beer.. I love the irony too. Never noticed it before, but Lee and Amanda here are not experiencing ‘happy hour’ in car wars!
Whahahahhaaaaaaa the ricky joe moment!! I love it!!!
Oh my.. seeing Lee make strawberry daiquiris with that wedding ring on is just swoony! Love seeing that ring! Lee + domestic activities = extra swoony in my book 😉
Vodka moment rofl.. is that a Wodka moment?!
Whahahaha yes let’s not forget the beans 😉
Beautiful scenery indeed.. oh yeah and that view behind Lee ain’t bad.
Rofl! Great advice for drinking alcohol!
What’s my fave season 1 and 2 drink moment? Ohhh it’s gotta be the Ricky Joe moment!
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Glad you enjoyed it, Iwsod. Maybe the post should be “SMK beverages or Lee’s Hair”
It’s amazing how the drinks consumed in SMK mirror the trends in the 80s. So different from now. I distinctly remember my mother having a plastic see-through punch bowl identical to the Bullpen Christmas one. I suspect it was the kind of thing you got given as a wedding gift in the 70s and 80s (because they never used it :D)
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Well.. unofficially it was wasn’t it? that’s what I loved about it haaaaaa
What will we be drinking in 30 years time?!
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If you can’t figure out exactly which milk Lee is more likely to hide behind, try looking for the ones with the yellow caps. 😉
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And the manager of the dairy section of my local store wonders “why” I’m pulling all the milk off the shelves. 😉
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LOL 😀
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Bravo, Learjet! Really enjoyed this! I do love the moments when Amanda spills her drink on Lee. Lee is intoxicating enough, but that Hawaiian shirt had it coming. 😉 Also really like the To Catch a Mongoose, Buckingham palace scene.
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I suspect early S2 Lee would have just thrown away a shirt with a beer spill…
Of course, I had to carefully document those European drink moments 🙂
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Thanks, this was great. Philip’s face was priceless…haha! Lee looked great in all the outdoor scenes in Europe. I think he looked mighty fine in Burnout with his scruffy, rumbled look 🙂
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Love this! I was looking for the moment in the tag of Das Geisterschloss when Emily toasts Lee and Amanda and Amanda doesn’t want a full glass. I can’t remember what they were drinking. It’s amazing how popular teas are around here now and I’ve been to a few. However, I’ve avoided any ornate serve ware just to be on the safe side.
Oh, and another bad orange juice moment in Our Man in Tegernsee when the breakfast table was shot up.
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Hmmm – I always thought OJ was healthy… but in SMK-Land it seems to be dangerous 😉
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In small amounts, juice is OK. It sure does a number on your blood sugar levels. 🙂 (One of my good friends is a dietician whose life mission is to preach the evils of juice)
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I prefer my OJ freshly pressed by myself – no extra sugar at all. 🙂
If I buy some juice I also try to get the sugarless. I’m still from Germany and our products usually are not soooo much sweetened. 😉
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My guess was Schnapps!
That’s a good moment too – good thinking Valerie!
Oh rofl yes the magical breakfast table 🙂
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It looks to me as if Dotty served tea to Dean’s mother in the same baddie tea set that the bad guys used in Saved by the Bells.
This was fun Learjet. Thanks!
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I also thought that. Dean’s mother deserved a baddie tea set!
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Learjrt, great post, Ireally enjoyed this trip dowm the smk memory lane of beverages. My favourite drinking bit is the long Christmas Eve and everyone getting a llittle tipsy on vodka herring and the Christmas spirit. I always find it very moving when they sing the Christmas carols.
It hadnt occued to me before but I think you are right in saying that they drink less alcohol than a lot of shows of that era (or today ). Perhaps because Amanda was a mother,tbey wanted to kerp it a bit more wholesome ? I don’t know if any of you watched Mcgyver which was also in the 80’s? He never drank at all. I wonder was there a connection?
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They are not only drinking less alcohol than usual in that era, they also smoke less than usual in those days (except Dr. Smyth….ehhem cough, cough).
Any connection to MacGyver? All I can think of is Dana Elcar in ‘Spiderweb’ as that guy who was very sure about Amanda beeing a double agent. 😦
Although, technically, she’s not even a simple agent, so how can she be a double agent??
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I guess Amanda is really, really good if she can skip the ‘single agent’s status and jump right to double. 🙂
Thanks Learjet, these were really fun!
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And thank you for some beautiful Lee in Europe shots. swoon!
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Yeah, that’s it! She is really good. 😀
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Lee specifically mentions that he doesn’t smoke, more than once. Maybe they were concerned about setting a good example for kids by having a hero who doesn’t smoke. Lee is a tough, skilled spy and doesn’t need to smoke to make himself look cooler, kids! 😀
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Lee is a tough, skilled spy and doesn’t need to smoke to make himself look cooler, kids!
Yeah, that he is!
Do/did BB, KJ, and both MS’ s smoke (ever or in those days)?
I really appreciate them not smoking in SMK.
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And see how good his skin is….
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Maybe the US people can fill us in but I understand the Reagan era was ultra-conservative and there was an increasing push for “bad” things not be shown on TV before a certain hour. In some ways SMK was much bolder and more daring in it’s first and second seasons, than in the third or fourth. I noticed this with other US shows of the era too.
Thanks for this great post – I’m partial to the boozy moments 😉 …although I hasten to add I am not much of a drinker beyond a glass or two of a good red wine with dinner.
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Interesting if that’s true that they have that whole subplot in “Sour Grapes” with a president who has a glass of wine every night – a glass of Californian wine specifically…
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Yes, I think there was a bit of chatter about that at Neds at the time. (This is only a S1 and 2 post so I haven’t gone into it here)
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Dr Learjet salutes your responsible drinker behaviour, kiwismh 😉
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Yep, life’s too short to waste in a drunken stupor, and also I want to get good mileage out of my liver and kidneys. I figure old age will be much easier if I look after my vitals now… 😉
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I wonder if the low alcohol “content” of the show was related to the time of broadcasting. Where I grew up, both SMK and Macgyver was broadcast around 7:30pm which was considered “family viewing time”. Standards for what is considered family-friendly have dropped since the 80s.
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yeah this was my guess too learjet!
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I would guess the same thing. I think there were plenty of other shows that were on at 9 or 10 that had plenty of drinking in them.
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