Bond’s Signature Cocktail Celebrates Its 00-70th Anniversary

Written with a bespoke gold-plated Royal typewriter while on his honeymoon (that’s right) in Jamaica, Casino Royale was the first James Bond novel from author and world-renowned fuddy-duddy Ian Fleming. First published in 1953, this year marks 70 years since the world was first introduced to agent 007. 

In that time, the globe-trotting, gun-toting assassin has brought an air of sophistication to action thrillers—both in print and on screen. Although Savile Row tailoring and pricey British sports cars are synonymous with the man meant to be a “blunt instrument” for His Majesty’s Secret Service, Bond’s character-defining character accoutrement is his libation of choice: the martini.

While Bond would go on to order his dry vodka martinis “shaken, not stirred,” inspiration struck when he first ordered a more specific variation. It includes both vodka and gin and nixes the vermouth, and he named the drink after his double-crossing love, Vesper. The novel popularized this particular expression of a martini (although it’s not what you’ll get if you order a Vesper martini today).

A few sentences before Bond conceives of the Vesper martini on the spot in Fleming’s novel, he introduces himself to his CIA counterpart, Felix Leiter, as “Bond. James Bond.”

He then requests the following from the barman:

“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 Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?”

“Certainly, monsieur.”

Daniel Craig recited these instructions verbatim in the film adaptation of Casino Royale. Thus, the Vesper, as well as Bond’s affinity for a shaken martini, was born. 

Many bartenders follow the rule of thumb that martinis should be stirred rather than shaken, but Amanda Schuster, author of New York Cocktails and Drink Like a Local New York: A Field Guide to New York’s Best Bars, says there’s no traditional way of making a martini except to make it cold. “The prevailing wisdom is you shake anything with juice with ice and you either aerate or stir anything with ice that’s all booze. However, temperature is a big factor with martinis,” said Schuster. “Some people prefer it diluted via stirring. Others want it shaken because they prefer that method of dilution, also the sound it makes, that specific percussion. It’s a ritual.” Schuster prefers her martinis thrown, or poured and strained over ice in a long stream. “It aerates the drink while cooling it to the proper temperature.”

In his column for the Sunday Times, Fleming once told the story of a Mountie (a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police) who was sent on a mission to the wild northwest and issued a shaker along with gin and vermouth. The Mountie asked what the unusual equipment was for since he didn’t drink. His superior responded that if he gets lost, he should empty the bottles into the shaker, add some ice and shake vigorously. “Before you’ve shaken very long, somebody’s bound to appear out of the blue and say. ‘That’s not the way to make a martini.’”

Much in the way a culinarily detailed writer like Nora Ephron luxuriates in her character’s dining, Fleming goes out of his way to highlight Bond’s food and drink choices. At one point, he describes Bond carefully watching the glass become frosted as the golden-tinted drink flows into it. And much like an Ephron character, Bond isn’t afraid to lead with his taste when he notes that a grain-based vodka would work better than one made from potatoes.

Bond also specifies a Champagne goblet, which has a rounded bowl, as opposed to the standardized martini glass, which is more cone-shaped. “They can be clunky,” said Schuster, who warns of how easy goblets can be to spill. While goblets may be in short supply at your neighborhood watering hole, the coupe glass offers a similar experience. Schuster recommends a coupe if you “prefer to finish your drink and not wear some of it.” She also recommends chilling the glass to help your martini stay chilled for as long as possible, which is appropriate given the cocktail’s cold-as-ice inspiration.

Vesper Lynd is the story’s femme fatale. When she and Bond first meet, he is enchanted by her and asks if he can use her name for his potent potable. “It sounds perfect, and it’s very appropriate to the violet hour when my cocktail will now be drunk all over the world.” It’s her betrayal that turns Bond into the cold-hearted professional he becomes and is most likely the reason he returns to his dry vodka martinis. Like its beguiling namesake, the cocktail has its own inscrutable intrigue.

The name “Vesper” is actually taken from a different cocktail, notes Fleming biographer Andrew Lycett. While in Jamaica, Fleming visited a mansion where “Vespers” were served. They were a mix of iced rum, fruit and herbs that the mansion’s owner enjoyed at six o’clock every evening, a cheeky take on evening prayers that occur at the same time. Fleming liked the name so much, he used it for his character. The exact ingredients of that rum-based Vesper may be lost to time, but sadly, the original flavor of Bond’s preferred version is as well. 

Lillet is a wine-based aperitif from the Bordeaux region of France. You can easily stroll over to your spirits shop or cocktail bar and find Lillet Blanc readily stocked. However, the current expression differs from Kina Lillet, which is called for in the original recipe but was reformulated in the 1980s when the brand changed ownership. “Kina” refers to quinine, which has a bitter flavor and which can also be found in tonic water. Today, some bartenders use another quinine-based aperitif, the Italian Cocchi Americano, as a substitute. 

Schuster’s latest book, Signature Cocktails, includes an entry on the Vesper. While she says martinis are a classic for a reason and will never go out of style, the Vesper has lost some standing in recent years. She explains that the cocktail experienced a surge in popularity thanks to a confluence of the release of the 2006 film adaptation of Casino Royale and producers pushing their unaged spirits. “It was a moment for the American craft distilleries movement to find a vehicle for both the vodkas and gins they were releasing while they waited for their whiskey to mature,” she says. This enthusiasm faded once the “Never Vodka” movement, the decade or so when mixologists made it their sworn duty to steer people away from using vodka in any cocktails, took hold of the scene. 

While you may not find a Vesper on a trendy cocktail bar’s house menu, it can still be a treat. It offers an alternative to those who would like to change up their standard olive-forward order (or for those with flawless taste who happen to dislike the flavor of olives, like yours truly). Schuster remembers her first Vesper, which she ordered at a bar in Tribeca in the early 2000s. “It was a jazzy vibe, and I wanted a cocktail to match.”

Now, the world patiently awaits the next incarnation of James Bond and the inevitable press flurry that will follow. While we wait to see how 007 will adapt to the times 70 years later, I recommend pairing Martin Campbell’s Casino Royale with a judiciously poured Vesper in a frosted coupe with lemon peel accent. Both hold up remarkably well.