50 Greatest Movie Drinking Moments

The World's End (2013)

The Drinking Scene: All Gary (Simon Pegg) wants to do is finish his pint. Sadly, there's a massive brawl going on between the pub patrons and scary replicant-like pod people, and every time he gets close to his pint, another pod person gets in his way.

Can't a man just drink in peace?!

If The Booze Hadn’t Been There: Gary would be fighting for the last packet of crisps.

Fight Club (1999)

The Drinking Scene: “We should do this again sometime,” says The Narrator (Ed Norton), sharing a beer on the curb with Tyler (Brad Pitt) after their first fight club. Funny, that’s how we felt after the first time we’d seen Fight Club …

If The Booze Hadn’t Been There: The duo would have smoked a cigar in honour of Fight Club.

Mean Streets (1973)

The Drinking Scene: Wannabe alpha-mobster Charlie (Harvey Keitel) knocks back more liquid grenades than we’ve ever seen. The beauty of this scene is all in Martin Scorsese’s deliciously discombobulating filmmaking – the thrumming music and the queasy lighting throw us down the drain with Charlie.

If The Booze Hadn’t Been There: Charlie would be getting high on class A drugs instead.

Groundhog Day (1993)

The Drinking Scene: "Can I buy you a drink?"

Phil Connors (Bill Murray) offers Rita (Andie MacDowell) a beverage, and because he's lived the same day a hundred times, he knows exactly what she wants. "That's my favourite drink!"

If The Booze Hadn’t Been There: They'd bond over Pizza instead - they both love Rome, right?

Star Trek (2009)

The Drinking Scene: Kirk (Chris Pine) makes a fool of himself as he attempts to woo Uhura (Zoe Saldana) at a bar, then gets into a raging bar fight with Starfleet cadets.

He ends up with bits of tissue stuffed up his nose and on the receiving end of a good dressing down from Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood).

If The Booze Hadn’t Been There: It wouldn't really have mattered - Kirk would still have ended up in a fight no matter what.

Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind (2002)

The Drinking Scene: Gameshow host and secret CIA assassin Chuck Barris (Sam Rockwell) pulls a conniving switcheroo on agent Patricia Watson (Julia Roberts). She poisons his drink, but he swaps it around and she's the one who ends up writhing on the floor in agony.

If The Booze Hadn’t Been There: Patricia would have baked the poison into a cupcake instead.

Harvey (1950)

The Drinking Scene: Elwood P. Dowd (Jimmy Stewart) goes to his local bar, where he orders two Martinis, despite being there alone. That's because he's also buying one for Harvey, his best friend - an invisible six foot rabbit…

If The Booze Hadn’t Been There: Harvey might have gotten upset…

American Pie (1999)

The Drinking Scene: Unaware that Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) has made a rather unappetising deposit in a beer, Stifler (Seann William Scott) takes a great big swig. Oh dear…

If The Booze Hadn’t Been There: God knows where Kevin would have made his deposit, but it would have saved Stifler getting a miserable mouthful.

Bad Santa (2003)

The Drinking Scene: The film's opening scene. In O'Hara's Pub, Christmas revellers are having a jolly old time - except for Willie (Billy Bob Thornton), who's perched right at the end of the bar sucking back whiskey while wearing his Santa costume. "Nothing has ever sucked more ass than this…"

If The Booze Hadn’t Been There: The scene probably wouldn't have ended with Willie vomiting in the alley…

Avengers Assemble (2012)

The Drinking Scene: Proving what a cool cucumber he is, Tony (Robert Downey Jr) arrives back at his penthouse and, despite having a formidable visitor in the form of Loki (Tom Hiddleston), he pours himself a drink at the bar…

If The Booze Hadn’t Been There: As we all know, Tony has a bit of a problem with the wet stuff. Is he expecting to die in this scene, so goes for one last swig? Or is he attempting to bolster his courage? Either way, it adds an interesting wrinkle to the scene.