“Shaken, not stirred”- Don’t mess around with James Bond and his favorite cocktail.
This drink is quite strong and fully alcoholic, so don’t plan a Vesper night as it won’t go further than 2 drinks each (plan instead a mango margarita night).
To make a Vesper Martini you will need gin, vodka, a thin slice of lemon peel and Lillet Blanc. This french aperitif wine has a beauitful aroma of candied oranges, honey, pine resin and exotic fruits. It can be tricky to find Lillet at your grocery store, so you can replace it with Martini white vermouth, very similar in taste, just slightly bitter.
Turns out James Bond is not the only fan, Alain Ducasse, one of the best chefs in the world, recently declared Lillet Blanci his favorite drink too. With such big names as fans, I couldn’t resist and give it a go.
Make sure you don’t drink more than one Vesper, afterall is a spy drink and it’s quite hard to handle!
‘A dry martini,’ he said. ‘One. In a deep champagne goblet.’
‘Oui, monsieur.’
‘Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?’
‘Certainly monsieur.’
-Casino Royale, chapter 7
- 60ml gin
- 20ml vodka
- 10ml Lillet Blanc or Martini white
- slice of lemon peel
- Shake all the ingredients with ice in a shaker.
- Pour into a chilled martini glass, add a slice of lemon peel and serve. Enjoy!