How to Make a Martini like James Bond

by X FLASKS September 26, 2016

James Bond. Lethal. Loathario. Legend. We all want to be James Bond, and while virtually none of us will ever be anything like James Bond, we can at least drink like him. Read on to find out Bond’s tipple of choice, and how to make it yourself.

So what does Bond like to drink? Well, there are actually two drinks that James Bond enjoys; they are similar but there is a difference. Most of you will know he likes a vodka martini, and takes it ‘shaken, not stirred’. But made famous more recently in the 2006 movie Casino Royale is the Vesper, which we’ll discuss later.

First, the vodka martini. This is variation on the classic martini which is gin-based. The difference is that a vodka martini is (you guessed it!) vodka-based instead. Bond is a fan of hard-hitting cocktails, so this is a strong and simple drink.

Ingredients:

60ml of vodka (to match his drink in Spectre, use Belvedere vodka)
10-20ml of dry vermouth
Ice
Lemon peel or olive

Preparation:
Add the vodka, vermouth, and lots of ice to a mixing glass. Shake thoroughly until chilled. Strain into a martini glass (naturally) and garnish with a thin slice of lemon peel or an olive. Best enjoyed quickly before the bubbles burst. Don’t linger over it all evening.

What difference does shaking, not stirring make, we hear you cry? Well, shaking breaks down the ice more which cools and dilutes the drink more than stirring (although stirring will still cool and dilute your drink). Shaking also gives the drink texture as it adds bubbles. Many cocktail makers and connoisseurs advise against shaking a martini as it doesn’t taste as good when frothed up. But James Bond doesn’t care what ‘experts’ say. He’s James Bond.

A Vodka Martini. Shaken, not stirred.

Now for the Vesper. If you paid enough attention to Casino Royale, Bond gives explicit instructions on how to make this drink (how thoughtful). The line from the movie is ‘3 measures of Gordon’s, 1 of vodka, 1/2 a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it over ice and then add a thin slice of lemon peel.’ We’ll lay that out for you:

Ingredients:

60ml of Gordon’s gin
20ml of vodka
10ml of Lillet Blanc (Kina Lillet is no longer made - here’s a substitute from the same company)
Ice
Lemon peel

Preparation:
Add the gin, vodka, Lillet Blanc, and ice to a mixing glass. Shake thoroughly until chilled. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with thin slice of lemon peel. There you go, your very own Vesper.