Vesper
Vesper cocktail has an interesting story of its creation. In Ian Fleming’s “Casino Royale”, the first of his books about James Bond, Bond orders a dry martini in a “deep champagne goblet” but then changes his order and gives the barman a recipe. The dialogue itself was: “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? … This drink’s my own invention. I’m going to patent it when I think of a good name”. Bond marks the result “excellent” and says it’s his “special martini”. Later in the novel, after being introduced to the beautiful Vesper Lynd, Bond tells Vesper that his search for a name is over if she will permit him to name the drink after her. The cocktail was not Fleming’s creation. It was devised by his friend Ivar Bryce as evidenced by the words Fleming inscribed in Bryce’s copy of Casino Royale: “For Ivar, who mixed the first Vesper…”
Flavor:
Vesper cocktail offers a bold, crisp taste, combining the herbal notes of gin with the smoothness of vodka and a hint of bitterness from Kina Lillet, culminating in a balanced and sophisticated flavor.
IBA Category:
Contemporary Classics
Ingredients:
- 45 ml Gin
- 15 ml Vodka
- 7.5 ml Lillet Blanc
- lemon zest
Recipe:
1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.
2. Shake thoroughly, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with a thin slice of lemon zest.
