Orange whip

Lore & Background

The orange whip is a sweet cocktail made with rum, vodka, cream and orange juice. It is typically blended to a froth like a milkshake, and served straight up or over ice. The drink had a resurgence after the release of The Blues Brothers. In the film, Jake's parole officer, Burton Mercer (John Candy), attends the film's pivotal fund-raising concert in order to arrest Jake and Elwood. However, Mercer decides he wants to see them perform first and orders drinks for himself and the uniformed state troopers he is with, getting silence in response after saying: 'Who wants an orange whip? Orange whip? Orange whip? Three orange whips!' The drink was not in the original script. The product placement was arranged by the film's prop master or production team, and Candy improvised the repetition of the line.

Reader's Guide

The orange whip is significant as both a specific cocktail recipe and a cultural touchstone. Its recipe—rum, vodka, cream, and orange juice blended to a froth—defines a distinct sweet, creamy drink. Beyond the cocktail, 'Orange Whip' has been used as a brand name for non-alcoholic drinks; in the 1950s, the Tropical Fruit Company marketed an 'Orange Whip' concentrate for fountain beverages, and actress Jeanne Carmen was once dubbed 'Miss Orange Whip.' The US Patent and Trademark Office lists various applications for the 'Orange Whip' trademark for drinks and a chain of juice stores. The drink's lasting legacy, however, stems from its improvised mention in The Blues Brothers, which spawned numerous pop-culture callbacks. These include references in The Blacklist, Veronica Mars, the song 'Strangely at Home Here' by Seven Mary Three, the naming of the Bates College Men's Ultimate team, a line in The Wire, military slang in Afghanistan, a mention in Happy Endings, and the naming of the 'Orange Whip' nightclub in Ringwood, Victoria, Australia. This wide range of allusions demonstrates how a single film line can elevate a drink into a recurring cultural symbol.

Did You Know?

• Actress and pinup model Jeanne Carmen was once dubbed 'Miss Orange Whip'.
• The drink's mention in The Blues Brothers was improvised by John Candy after the film's prop master or production team arranged the product placement.