The Vesper – James Bond Back at the Bar!

Everybody’s favorite spy, the inimitable Bond… James Bond, had a habit of throwing back a cocktail from time to time.  In chapter seven of Ian Flemming’s Casino Royale, Bond orders his one and only Vesper, which at the time, was unnamed.  The conversation goes as follows:

"A dry martini," [Bond] said. "One. In a deep champagne goblet."

"Oui, monsieur."

"Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?"

"Certainly, monsieur." The barman seemed pleased with the idea.

"Gosh, that's certainly a drink," said Leiter.

Bond laughed. "When I'm...er...concentrating," he explained, "I never have more than one drink before dinner. But I do like that one to be large and very strong and very cold and very well-made. I hate small portions of anything, particularly when they taste bad. This drink's my own invention. I'm going to patent it when I can think of a good name."

In the following chapter of Casino Royale, Bond christens the beverage “Vesper”. 

Let’s get down to business, or recipes.  As you can see above, the original recipe translates to the following:

·         3 oz Gin
·         1 oz Vodka
·         ½ oz Lillet Blanc (rebranded from Kina Lillet in the early 80s)
·         Garnish with a twist of lemon

If you are a Bond purist, stick to the above.  However, the Connoisseur does have a slight variation on the ratios.  I feel this allows the Lillet to stand up a bit more, as the Gin can somewhat blunt it…

·         2 oz Gin
·         2 oz Vodka
·         ½ oz Lillet Blanc
·         Garnish with a twist of lemon

Give them a try and see which you prefer.  There is no right or wrong here.  Actually, the only wrong would be to use poor ingredients.  As always, don’t skimp on quality, people..!

Until next time…  Cheers!