From Scotch To Soda: The Go-To Drinks Of 15 TV Icons

Over the last few decades, most of us have spent a significant portion of our lives watching TV. In 2023, for example, research suggests that the average American aged between 15 and 65 watched TV for nearly three hours a day. Our appetite for screen time is filled with everything from dark dramas to sitcoms to cozy mysteries, each of which follow our favorite characters as they navigate the trials and tribulations of life. Each has their own way of coping with life, and for many, when times get tough or when celebrations are in order, they reach for their favorite beverage.

For some (ahem, "Friends"), the answer is nearly always coffee. For others, whiskey is the only way through. For others, you can't go wrong with a beer (looking at you, Homer Simpson). If you're interested in the favorite beverages of your favorite characters, you've come to the right place. Below, we've rounded up some of the go-to drinks of the biggest TV icons, from "Breaking Bad" to "The Simpsons" to "Mad Men" and beyond.

If you've ever watched an episode of "Friends" — the hit 1990s sitcom that revolves around six friends and their lives in New York — you'll know that coffee is the go-to drink for each of them. Nearly every episode sees Phoebe Buffay, Rachel Green, Joey Tribbiani, Chandler Bing, Monica Gellar, and Ross Gellar gather at their local coffee shop (called Central Perk, of course) to drink coffee and chat.

For the characters of "Friends," coffee isn't just a drink. It's a vital part of each of their storylines. Buffay regularly performs at Central Perk, singing songs like "Smelly Cat" to her friends while they drink coffee and spend time together. Green also spends most of the early part of the series working at the coffee shop, and Tribbiani has a small stint working there, too.

If you've ever wondered just how much coffee the "Friends" characters drank during the show's 10 seasons, in 2021, one user on X (formerly known as Twitter) figured it out. According to Kit Lovelace, together they drank more than 1,150 cups of coffee. But who drank the most? That title went to Buffay, who knocked back around 227 cups during the show's run.

When you think of "Breaking Bad," you might think of spirits like mezcal, for example, given that a lot of the show's focus is on Mexico. Stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul are certainly big fans, because in 2022, the duo came together to launch their own mezcal brand, Dos Hombres. But in the fictional world of "Breaking Bad," chemistry teacher-turned-drug lord Walter White (played by Cranston) is frequently seen reaching for whiskey. Dimple Pinch whiskey, neat, to be exact.

In fact, spoiler alert, when White's meth empire collapses, Dimple Pinch — a type of blended Scotch whiskey — is the last drink he orders before his ultimate demise (and the end of the show for good). But that is far from the only time White opts for the drink. He also drinks it to celebrate special occasions, like the birth of his daughter and the death of his ultimate drug rival, Gus Fring, of course.

The first episode of "Mad Men" hit small screens in 2007, and the last in 2015, yet people still consistently discover (and rewatch) the hit series, which revolves around the employees of an advertising agency in the 1960s. The lead character is Don Draper, played by Jon Hamm. He's mysterious, intuitive, charming, and complex. His go-to tipple? The Old Fashioned — a strong, simple, bourbon-based cocktail, made with sugar, angostura bitters, orange peel, and a few drops of water.

Draper can often be seen, Old Fashioned in hand  (even his Madame Tussauds wax figure is holding one) working late at the office or meeting with clients, as he tries to come up with new groundbreaking pitches and campaigns. Because of his love for the drink, he's talented at making one for himself — even when the right ingredients are not on offer. In the 3rd episode of the 3rd season of "Mad Men," in the absence of a hotel bartender and bourbon, Draper jumps behind the counter and whips up his own version with rye.

Alongside Walter White and Don Draper, Barney Stinson of "How I Met Your Mother" is also in the whiskey club. Played by Neil Patrick Harris, Stinson is one of the five key characters in the show, which, similar to "Friends," revolves around five friends who regularly hang out at the pub (called MacLaren's Pub). Because of that, there is plenty of drinking involved in the series, which centers around the story of how Ted Mosby met the mother of his children.

Stinson, the egotistical yet charismatic and endearing member of the group and best friend to Mosby, loves a drink of Glen McKenna scotch. But it's more than just a tipple to Stinson. The whiskey features in many pivotal moments in his life. He once steals a bottle to prove his loyalty to Mosby, for example. The group is also seen sharing a bottle during the last-ever episode, which sees Mosby finally finish the story to his future children about how he met their mother.

Glen McKenna is a fictional brand, but the whiskey is described as smoky and woody. In 2014, one of the show's producers told Slate that it would likely taste like "one of the Glens." He was referring to woody, malty Scotch whiskys that, of course, come from Scotland. Many of which start their name with "Glen" (which is the Gaelic word for valley and where many distilleries are located in Scotland).

Tyrion Lannister is a key character in "Game of Thrones," also known as one of the most popular shows of all time. The series was a critical and commercial success, watched by millions and awarded with prestigious Emmys and Golden Globes. Lannister is part of the wealthy and powerful House Lannister, and he can be ruthless, but he is also known for his caring nature, too. He's also known to be pretty big on wine. In fact, he once declared himself as a god of wine. So it's safe to say he's a big fan of the adult beverage.

In fact, according to The Film Theorists, a YouTube account dedicated to film theory, Lannister finishes a glass of wine every 15 minutes during his wedding banquet, which takes place during Season 3. This illustrates just how much Lannister loves to drink the wine of the "Game of Thrones" universe. There are a few different types, including Arbor Gold and Blackberry wine, but Lannister seems to have a particular fancy for Dornish red wine, which, one showrunner told the Los Angeles Times, is likely similar to a sweet, fruity red from Southern Spain or Italy.

"Sex and the City," the 1990s/early 2000s hit series, follows the lives of four New York women. One of them, of course, is the narrator and protagonist Carrie Bradshaw — a fashion enthusiast, columnist, and lover of cosmopolitan cocktails. In fact, it was arguably Bradshaw who made the cocktail as popular as it is today. Her favorite mix of Cointreau, fresh lime juice, cranberry juice, and Citron has long been staple in bars and restaurants all over the U.S., likely because they're associated with Bradshaw's girly, fun personality.

According to Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, the author of "Sex and the City and Us," a book based on the success of "Sex and the City," Cosmopolitan cocktails are likely popular because they are an accessible way to imitate Bradshaw's lifestyle. A drink is far easier to afford than a New York apartment or a closet full of designer clothes, for example. Armstrong told Refinery29: "There's certain things on the show that you couldn't do, because the costs were prohibitive, but something like a cupcake or a Cosmo was something you could afford."

Hit medical drama "Grey's Anatomy" has been on the air since 2005, and until the 19th season, it largely revolved around surgeon Meredith Grey (played by Ellen Pompeo). Grey officially exited the show in the 19th series (but she still pops in and out every now and then). The surgeon is known not just for her impressive medical talent, compassion, and intelligence, but also her love of tequila.

Grey is often seen enjoying the agave-based spirit, which, alongside mezcal, is one of Mexico's most popular exports. She has this in common with many Americans. Research suggests that more than 40% of people in the U.S. would choose to have a lifetime supply of tequila available to them, rather than a lifetime supply of coffee.

While Grey might love tequila, tequila doesn't always love her. In fact, one of Grey's famous quotes from the 2nd season of "Grey's Anatomy," comes when she is recovering from an intense hangover after drinking too much tequila. She says: "More tequila, more love, more anything. More is better."

A Kahlúa sombrero is a simple cocktail. In fact, it's just a mix of Kahlúa (a creamy, coffee-based liqueur, which, again, comes from Mexico), milk, and ice. That's it. It's a favorite of Michael Scott, the well-meaning yet goofy and often inappropriate boss of Dunder Mifflin, the workplace of hit comedy "The Office." In the 7th season of the show, in the episode "Training Day," Scott is shown ordering a Kahlúa sombrero from a hotel bar.

As well as Kahlúa and milk, Scott is a big fan of strange drink combinations. In a Christmas episode during Season 5, for example, he is seen with a drink he calls the "One of Everything," which is a mix of Splenda sweetener, scotch, absinthe, rum, gin, vermouth, and triple sec. In Season 3, he is also seen drinking a mix of Splenda and scotch in the episode "Cocktails."

"Breaking Bad" spinoff "Better Call Saul" follows the backstory of Saul Goodman (real name Jimmy McGill), Walter White's criminal defense lawyer — a known conman. Just like "Breaking Bad," "Better Call Saul" is dark, gripping, and full of symbolism. When Goodman reaches for a Rusty Nail, for example, you know he is having a bad day. He is often seen reaching for the drink, which is a two-part mix of Drambuie and Scotch whisky, when he is working at Cinnabon after changing his identity to Gene Takovic while hiding from the law.

Like Meredith Grey, Goodman is also a big fan of tequila. He doesn't drink this as Takovic, but when he's in the height of his criminal law career. His go-to is Zafiro Añejo, a fictional brand of the spirit made up just for the "Breaking Bad" universe. He often drinks tequila with Kim Wexler, his colleague and romantic partner.

An apple martini, more commonly known as an appletini, is usually a mix of vodka and some form of apple-based drink. It can be made with apple juice, apple cider, or apple liqueur, depending on the flavor you're after (and how strong you want your drink to be). The drink is known to be hated by bartenders, and is often seen as embarrassing (because it's nothing like a real, classic martini), but J.D., the lead character in medical sitcom "Scrubs" doesn't seem to care.

It's one of his favorite drinks, and he is seen ordering it on a number of occasions throughout the show's run ("Scrubs" began in 2001, and ran for nine seasons, ending in 2010). J.D. orders the drink for the first time in Season 2, in the episode "My Kingdom." It is in this episode that we learn that while J.D. loves an appletini, he prefers it to go "easy on the 'tini." This likely means that he wants the drink to be more apple and less vodka.

When "True Detective" released its 1st season back in 2014, we were all introduced to Rust Cohle, a brooding and nihilistic homicide detective played by Matthew McConaughey. Together with Martin Hart, played by Woody Harrelson, he (spoiler alert) solves a series of ritualistic murders that have plagued Louisiana since the 1990s. And through it all, he is seen coping with the stress of the job by drinking Lone Star beer, which used to be made in Fort Worth, Texas, but is now brewed in Houston. The series even helped to boost the popularity of the Texas beer in the U.K., where sales surged by 50% after it was shown on-screen for the first time.

Cohle isn't the only fan of Lone Star beer. In "True Detective: Night Country," which was released in 2024, a bottle of Lone Star beer is left in the abandoned research station in Tsalal, Alaska (the station is the focus of the 4th season of the show).

Where there is Lucille Bluth, there is vodka. The Bluth family matriarch in comedy series "Arrested Development" — which follows the tribulations of a rich family when they lose their wealth — is played by the late Jessica Walter, and she is rarely seen without a drink in her hand.

Throughout the show's run (from 2003 to 2009), Bluth is seen sipping on vodka martinis, vodka rocks, vodka tonic, and sometimes just straight vodka. Occasionally, she mixes it up and drinks wine instead. In one episode, Bluth asks for "vodka rocks" in the morning, when her son Michael informs her that it's breakfast time, she adds: "And a piece of toast."

Bluth's go-to vodka is Cloudmir, a fictional brand of vodka produced in Newport Beach, where the family lives. She is not the only Cloudmir fan in the family; in the 1st season, her daughter Lindsay is seen working as a representative for the brand.

Jessica Fletcher, played by the late Angela Lansbury, was arguably the queen of cozy, murder mysteries. She was, of course, the leading character in "Murder, She Wrote," which ran for 12 seasons, from 1984 to 1996. The series follows New Hampshire native Fletcher, an author and amateur crime detective, as she gets to the bottom of various crimes. Unlike Lucille Bluth, who is fuelled by vodka, Fletcher is fuelled by tea. In many scenes throughout the hit show, she can be seen sipping from a teacup. Fletcher's love for tea even inspired tea brand Adagio Teas to create a blend inspired by her.

Lansbury herself was also a big fan of tea. In 2014, she told The Irish Times that she prefers Irish tea to English. "So I am a mixture of Irish, English, Scottish: all of that is very close to my heart. I drink very strong tea," she said. "You can't get it in London. I'll have to get some Barry's, but I don't know where." Barry's Tea is a brand based in Cork, Ireland.

Anyone who has ever seen an episode of the long-running animated sitcom "The Simpsons" will know that the family's bumbling patriarch, Homer Simpson, loves Duff beer. He often heads to Moe's Tavern with his friends and colleagues Lenny and Carl to sink down a Duff, which is a type of lager, after a long day working at the Springfield nuclear power plant. He likely passes this love of beer onto his son, Bart, who is seen drinking a new type of Duff, called Future Duff, in one episode that flashes forward to the future.

Duff beer is fictionalized, but you can still try it for yourself. Florida theme park Universal Orlando has created its own Duff Brewery in Springfield in Universal Studios. There, guests can sample Duff lager for themselves while they watch clips of "The Simpsons" on TVs stationed around the bar.

"Futurama," another long-running animated favorite, follows the life of Fry, a pizza delivery boy who was frozen in 2000 and defrosted in the 31st century. The sitcom started in 1999, and has been running on and off in the years since. Fry is known for his immature personality — he is generally depicted as lazy and stupid, but he is also caring, too. His favorite drink is Slurm, which he often drinks while he lazes around in front of the TV.

Again, Slurm is a fictionalized drink, but it is generally depicted to be a form of an addictive, sugary soda. In fact, the drink's slogan in the show is literally "It's highly addictive!" In one episode called "Fry and the Slurm Factory," Fry discovers that his drink of choice is actually made from worm secretions. A few brands have attempted to make real-life Slurm (but without the worm involvement). British brewery Yonder, for example, makes alcoholic Turbo Slurm, which isn't actually soda, but a type of sour beer.