Contemporary Classics IBA
Vesper
Bond's gateway martini
Bond's personal martini: gin-forward with a vodka assist and Lillet's subtle bitter-floral note. Shaken, strained, and devastatingly strong.
Ingredients
- 2 oz Gin
- 1/2 oz Vodka
- 1/4 oz Lillet Blanc
Method
Shake all ingredients vigorously with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Created by Ivar Bryce; published in Ian Fleming's Casino Royale (1953), where Bond specifies a gin-vodka-Kina Lillet drink and later names it after Vesper Lynd. Wikipedia cites pages 43-44 and 51 but chapter number unconfirmed. Per IBA Contemporary Classics list; Difford's Guide #2597. Modern versions use Lillet Blanc or other quinquina alternatives. Fleming later stated (1958 letter to The Guardian) he found the drink unpalatable upon tasting it.
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