FQ Columnist Caetlin Benson-Allott explores the long-standing relationship between alcohol and cinema-going. She traces the history of this growing trend in movie concessions, beginning with cinema's debut at the Grand Café de Paris, whose menu certainly included alcohol. Noting the physiological effects of alcohol consumption on the viewer, she argues that moderate drinking can make mediocre movies more enjoyable. Alcohol has also helped shaped the current landscape of cinema exhibition by providing a profitable revenue stream for independent and microcinemas in addition to helping them foster a sense of community.

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