In Casino Royale, Daniel Craig’s Bond settles on the name for the Vesper Martini over a late dinner with Vesper Lynd in the hotel dining room. Ian Fleming gave him the recipe in the 1953 novel. It is a strong, clean drink with a story attached, and a good one to have in your repertoire.
Making a Vesper Martini now
The recipe in the film is three parts Gordon’s gin, one of vodka and half a part of Kina Lillet, finished with a lemon twist. Kina Lillet no longer exists in that form, so use Lillet Blanc, or Cocchi Americano if you want something closer in character and a little more bitter.
At home, we would keep the proportions and scale the measure down. A drink built from three parts gin is close to pure spirit, so chill the glass, chill the bottles if you can, and make one at a time. Use a London dry gin with real juniper behind it, and shake or stir with ice, since the dilution matters in a drink this strong. Cut a wide strip of peel so the oils reach the surface.
A drink is not something we can link to as a product, so the button searches eBay for a cocktail shaker set, the one piece of kit you need, and the live items below cover the glass and the spirit. It suits the hour before dinner and not much else. Serve it with something salty and plain, and stop at one. More on the drinks of Bond’s world sits in our food and drink section, and the full list of films is on our films page.
In the same spirit
The drink needs a good glass and good vodka more than anything else. From the live catalogue: Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka, Cumbria Crystal Grasmere tumbler and Royal Doulton Highclere tumblers.
Specifications
| Recipe (film) | 3 parts Gordon’s gin, 1 part vodka, half a part Kina Lillet |
|---|---|
| Modern substitute | Lillet Blanc or Cocchi Americano in place of Kina Lillet |
| Garnish | Lemon twist, cut as a wide strip of peel |
| Serve | Chilled glass, very cold |
| Origin | Ian Fleming, Casino Royale (1953); seen in Casino Royale (2006) |
| RRP | Not applicable; a recipe rather than a product |
