James Bond displayed prowess in many disciplines. Driving gadget-laden Aston Martins! Sassing M! Wearing the hell out of a suit! But that prowess all but abandoned him where a Vesper crossed his path—the woman he loved, who betrayed him, and the drink he invented in her memory, which lives on to confuse us all.
Bond made the Vesper a cocktail known the world over; that's the power of a strong personal brand. But had Bond (or rather, author Ian Fleming) not been its creator, it likely would not have stood a chance on its own. The Vesper, adjacent to a proper martini but nowhere near as balanced, has potency going for it, sure. The ratios of gin, vodka, and Lillet (a French aperitif used as a vermouth substitute) deserves to be questioned, but we won't tamper with Bond's recipe. Where we will go rogue is the Vesper's construction. As you and everyone else in the galaxy knows, Bond ordered martinis shaken, not stirred, but that's no way to get one bone-chillingly cold. We'd have you stir, not shake. Like this:
A Little Background
In Fleming's 1953 novel Casino Royale, Bond ordered the following yet-unnamed cocktail from a bartender: "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?" His directions were crystal clear, and for his trouble, he got what would haven been an ill-proportioned drink, where the Lillet got drowned by gin, which in turn was not nearly drowned enough by the vodka. Shortly thereafter Bond named the Vesper. And then he never ordered it on the page again.
A lot has changed since 1953—hell, six men have played Bond since—and that includes the ingredients in Bond's original Vesper. Gordon's gin is no longer as strong as it used to be, for one. For another, Lillet altered its formula; Kina Lillet became the less-bitter Lillet Blanc. In this how-to, we have the original recipe as Bond ordered it, but look here for ways to tweak it so that it more closely replicates the 1953 version.
If You Like This, Try These
The Vesper has the honor of being Bond's own invention, but it wasn't the drink he favored. For that, you'd have to make a Vodka Martini, or Gin Martini. You'll probably enjoy it loads more. In keeping with the Bond theme, you could also make yourself an Old Fashioned, a Scotch and Soda, or an Americano—all ordered by the agent at one point or another.
What You Need
Here’s what you need to do a Vesper justice, beyond what you might be able to dig out of the fridge or cupboard.
Gin
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Martini Glass
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