Vesper cocktail recipe

You don’t have to be a die-hard James Bond fan to know he loved a good Martini (shaken, not stirred, of course). But you might not know the Vesper was Bond’s OG Martini of choice – appearing in Casino Royale back in 1953. The drink was entirely fictional, dreamed up by Ian Fleming and named after the seductive double agent Vesper Lynd. In fact, some say it’s the most famous drink order in history, which came with incredibly precise instructions. The good news, however, is that it’s easy to make at home – you can even tweak the ingredients to suit your tastes.

Despite being one of the most famous cocktails in literary history, it only appeared in Casino Royale – Bond moved on to gin and vodka Martinis in later books and movies. If you rushed out to make one after seeing it in the film, you’d know that one of the original ingredients is no longer available: Kina Lillet is substituted for white vermouth these days.

The Vesper is a cocktail of contrasts. Compared to the gin Martini, it has a slightly sweet, yet bitter taste, while the vodka lessens the impact of the botanicals in the gin. It’s a cocktail that’ll appeal to both gin and vodka aficionados, while the white vermouth component allows you to tweak it to your heart’s content.

It’s the sweet yet bitter flavour profile that makes the Vesper so appealing. White vermouth provides the sweetness, so it’s an easy cocktail to adapt to suit your tastes – just add more vermouth if you want it sweeter, and slightly less if you prefer it bitter.

While debate rages over whether you should shake or stir spirits-only cocktails, this is one that benefits from the extra dilution that comes from shaking. A bit of diluted ice is a good thing in a cocktail that packs a serious punch.