How to Drink, According to Julia Child

Julia Child is one of the most beloved cooks of our time, whether you’re a devoted fan of her television shows or learned everything you know from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She taught Americans to love butter and throw their silly diets out the window. And, like any seasoned cook, Child also knew a thing or two about drinking—something she did quite often while cooking on camera. Here, some of our favorite quotes from Julia Child about wine, gin and how to look at life with your glass half full. Enjoy these nuggets of wisdom as Child would have, with her favorite cocktail (a Reverse Martini) in hand.

On Cooking With Wine:

“I enjoy cooking with wine. Sometimes, I even put it in the food.”

“The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded, and whack the hell out of a chicken. Bon appétit.”

On Eating With Wine:

“A house without a cat is like a day without sunshine, a pie without fromage, a dinner without wine.”

“Wine is meant to be with food—that's the point of it.”

On Wine as a Lifeline:

“Wine is one of the agreeable and essential ingredients of life.”

"As you get older, you shouldn't waste time drinking bad wine."

“I'd never really drunk good wine before, and knew nothing at all about it. It was simply a whole new life experience.”

“Just like becoming an expert in wine—you learn by drinking it, the best you can afford—you learn about great food by finding the best there is, whether simply or luxurious.”

On Caring for Your Wine:

“An old wine is like an old lady, and traveling can disturb her.”

“Wine is a living liquid containing no preservatives. Its life cycle comprises youth, maturity, old age and death. When not treated with reasonable respect, it will sicken and die.”

On Red Meat and Gin:

“I believe in red meat. I've often said: red meat and gin.”

“Forget the cheap white wine: Go to beef and gin!”

On Drinking in Moderation:

"Everything in moderation … including moderation."

“In France, Paul explained, good cooking was regarded as a combination of national sport and high art, and wine was always served with lunch and dinner. ‘The trick is moderation,’ he said.”

“Food, like the people who eat it, can be stimulated by wine or spirits. And, as with people, it can also be spoiled.”