Bravo fans know that alcohol plays a major role in the Real Housewives franchises, from loosening lips and stirring up drama to – whenever the occasional wine glass gets thrown – serving as ammo.
Many Real Housewives even have their own signature drinks.
The Real Housewives of New York City’s Ramona Singer, for example, famously never leaves home without a pinot grigio, while her former costar Bethenny Frankel often opts for a Skinnygirl marg.
During her time on RHOBH, restaurateur Lisa Vanderpump became known for her love of pink wine, even incorporating her taste for the drink into her Season 3 tagline: “Life isn’t all diamonds and rosé, but it should be.”
And over in New Jersey, RHONJ OG Teresa Giudice has expressed a particular fondness for the Bellini, a brunch cocktail made with Prosecco and peach.
But this week, it was a different RHONJ star – Real Husband Chris Laurita – whose truly “wild” drink order had Bravo fans up in arms.
Fans weigh in on Chris Laurita’s ‘wild’ drink order
This week, a Reddit user on a Real Housewives fan forum was rewatching early seasons of RHONJ when they came across something “wild”: the Season 2 scene when Chris Laurita – husband of OG Jersey Housewife Jacqueline Laurita – orders a “tall glass with half Coke, half red wine” and “lots of ice” while out a fancy dinner.
“Has anyone tried this?” the Redditor wrote, adding that the unlikely wine-soda combo “sounds disgusting.”
But the drink drew mixed reactions from other Bravo fans.
“Sounds like how you create acid reflux,” one commenter wrote.
But others pointed out that in some parts of the world, including Europe and Latin America, the mixture of Coke and red wine is already widely popular.
“It’s actually a thing,” one Redditor wrote, recalling how at dinner, their Italian family sometimes mixed a little wine into the kids’ sodas.
“Don’t knock it till ya try it,” another commenter wrote, adding that after first trying the combo at a bar in the Czech Republic, it has since become their “emotional support drink.”
Bravo fans miss Chris Laurita on RHONJ
Despite his unorthodox drink order, Real Husband Chris Laurita became a fan favorite during the Lauritas’ time on RHONJ.
Jacqueline starred on the hit Bravo franchise from its debut season, which aired in 2009, through the end of Season 7.
During that time, fans came to love Chris for his kindness and gentle good humor with his wife and their two kids.
In the Reddit thread about his “wild” drink, some fans took the opportunity to share their appreciation for Chris.
“Chris Laurita still reigns as greatest house-husband,” one commenter wrote.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on Bravo.