Vesper cocktail
Photo: Matthias Friedlein (www.augustine-bar.de) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Derivative · Gin

Vesper

Ian Fleming's Martini variant of gin, vodka and Lillet, from Casino Royale. It is a split-base cocktail.

Ingredients

  • 3 ozLondon dry gin
  • 1 ozVodka
  • ½ ozLillet Blanc

Method

  1. Shake (per Bond) or stir all ingredients with ice until very cold.
  2. Strain into a chilled goblet or martini glass.
  3. Garnish with a large lemon peel.

History

A certain fictional British spy in 1953 made this drink popular among aficionados and eventually it made it's way to the general public. The original recipe from Ian Fleming called for "A dry martini. One. In a deep champagne goblet... 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?"

Kina Lillet has since been discontinued so modern bartenders substitute Lillet Blanc most often. However, Kina had a more bitter, quinine and herbal taste to it, so some prefer to use Cocchi Americano as a more accurate approximation to the original. Additionally, Bond requested this "shaken...not stirred", which you can still specify to this days, as many bartenders will make the modern vesper in the style of the traditional martini, stirring it instead. I personally prefer it shaken but that's because the stirred variety ends up being too bitterish for me if Cocchi is used; shaking dilutes the cocktail to a more palatable balance.

Flavour

Sweet
Bitter
Sour
Boozy

Details

Glass
Martini glass
Garnish
Lemon peel
Technique
shaken

Family

Compared with Dry Martini

What changes: vodka and Lillet in place of vermouth.

Dry Martini

  • 2 ½ ozLondon dry gin (preferably frozen)
  • ½ ozDry vermouth
  • 1 dashOrange bitters (optional)

Vesper

  • 3 ozLondon dry gin
  • 1 ozVodka
  • ½ ozLillet Blanc

Green = new ingredient · Gold = different amount · Red = not used in Vesper

Other takes on the Dry Martini