Vesper Martini: The James Bond co*cktail (2024)

co*cktails and Hollywood have long been intertwined. The connection usually involves a character like The Dude drinking a co*cktail like the White Russian in movies like The Big Lebowski.

But not all characters are created equally. Some characters like James Bond don’t just drink co*cktails. They create them too.

The Vesper Martini isn’t the only three-ingredient co*cktail on the block. But it’s the only one we know of that was invented by an iconic author and popularized by his main character.

While we never met Ian Fleming (the author), we suspect that he wasn’t intending to create mixology magic when James Bond (his main character) introduced the world to the Vesper Martini. He also probably didn’t know that one of the co*cktail’s three ingredients would have a shorter shelf life that his books.

Ian Fleming created history in his very first novel. Not only did he introduce the world to James Bond in Casino Royale, but he also introduced a new co*cktail – the Vesper Martini.

The recipe for the Vesper Martini is no top secret affair. In fact, Fleming, who named the drink after original bond girl Vesper Lynd, spelled it out clearly as “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.”

Ironically, James Bond proceeded to drink many more co*cktails in eleven more books but never another Vesper Martini. But that one book was enough to create a co*cktail for the ages.

More than a half century later, every reputable bartender knows how to craft a Vesper Martini. They also know how to craft a James Bond Martini since it’s the same exact drink.

Although Ian Fleming was specific about the Vesper recipe when he wrote Casino Royale, we’ve taken a couple liberties with his recipe to craft a version that delights us with every sip. Our recipe includes the following ingredients:

Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.

Our recipe has two variations from the original Vesper co*cktail recipe.

First, we’ve replaced Kina Lillet with Lillet Blanc. It’s an obvious move since Kina Lillet, which used “quinine liqueur made of cinchona bark from Peru,” is now defunct.

Second, we don’t specify Gordon’s gin. Instead, we say to use your favorite gin. It’s no top secret that this is the best approach for achieving co*cktail success.

We recommend using your favorite dry gin when you craft a Vesper Martini at home. We chose to use Citadelle dry gin from France to craft ours. Produced in Cognac, the premium gin features 19 botanicals and has an ABV of 44%.

Discover our favorite gin co*cktails.

We also recommend using your favorite vodka. We used Absolut Vodka since that’s our current vodka of choice. Distilled in Sweden, this vodka also has a 40% ABV.

Discover our favorite vodka co*cktails.

The first step is to measure the gin, vodka and Lillet Blanc in a 3:1:0.5 ratio. Our recipe calls for three ounces of gin, one ounce of vodka and a half ounce of Lillet Blanc. We use a Japanese jigger to get accurate measurements and easy pours for all three of these liquids.

Buy a Japanese jigger from Amazon if you need a jigger or want an inexpensive upgrade.

The next step is where you have a decision to make. Namely, you need to decide if you want your drink shaken or stirred.

There’s no bad decision here. We’ve seen reputable mixologists go both ways. As for us, channeling Ian Fleming’s original recipe, we opted to shake our James Bond co*cktail.

Either way, you’ll want to add a handful of ice cubes to a shaker or mixing glass before you shake or mix your way to co*cktail bliss.

This James Bond co*cktail may whet your thirst for more James Bond co*cktails. If so, our intelligence reveals that the following additional drinks will fit your bill:

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