Vesper Martini Recipe

The Vesper Martini

In 1953, Vesper Lynd makes her first appearance in the James Bond novel Casino Royale. Vesper is the only Bond girl that ever made James Bond consider leaving the Secret Service. Bond’s feelings for her heighten the betrayal he later feels when he discovers that she is a double agent who has been coerced into working for the Russians.

The Vesper Martini, like the woman it’s named for, is a double agent. And it packs a punch. The base is British gin betrayed by a touch of Russian Vodka. But all the action takes place in the French aromatised wine Lillet.

Vesper Lynd’s name comes from evensong or vesper prayers in the canonical hours. Vespers are the traditional evening prayers of the Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran liturgies and are said at the sunset hour. When Vesper Lynd meets James Bond she tells him,  “I was born in the evening,..on a very stormy evening…”

A very stormy evening may be just the time to take solace in this sophisticate variation on a martini. Then again, this is a delicious drink no matter the weather.

In the novel Jame Bond describes his recipe to a bartender:

“A dry martini,” [Bond] said. “One. In a deep champagne goblet.”

“Oui, monsieur.”

“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?”

“Certainly, monsieur.” The barman seemed pleased with the idea.

“Gosh, that’s certainly a drink,” said Leiter.

—Ian Fleming, Casino Royale, Chapter 7, “Rouge et Noir’

Certainly a Drink

The Vesper Martini described in the novel is a booze bomb. In addition to three and a half ounces of spirits the spirits called for are higher proof versions of those widely available today. In 1953 Gordon’s gin was a 94 proof spirit while Russian vodka of that time was commonly around 100 proof.

Lillet also reformulated Kin Lillet to account for changing tastes. Kina takes its name from quinine. Quinine is an anti-malarial. It is extracted from the bark of the cinchona tree. Quinine gives tonic water its distinct bitterness. In addition, it adds dry and bitter flavours to Kina Lillet. In 1986 Lillet removed quinine from it’s .

If you don’t mind a bit of historical adaptation use Lillet Blanc and whatever you have on hand. A citrusy London Dry Gin like Gordon’s works well. Try something new. Like we’ve said before, cocktails are a problem to be solved. Try something new. You will learn through experimentation.

If you are a purist, track down a bottle of Cocchi Americano. It is one of the few remaining quina quina spirits. Pick up a bottle of 100 proof vodka. Preferably Russian and distilled from grain. Finally you can find 94 proof export version of Gordon’s in many locations around the world. Do your best imitation of an international spy and track some down in an exotic foreign locale.

Vesper Martini Ingredients

Does it make a difference? In a word yes. Many of the molecules that we perceive as flavor and aroma are soluble in alcohol. This means that the higher the proof gin would deliver more of the botanical’s flavors than today’s versions. The higher proof vodka should also help to release more flavor in the cocktail overall.

Not to mention, a slightly more bitter version of Lillet will change the balance of the cocktail overall. My preference is to add a dash of orange bitters to adjust and it works for me.

Of course, I’m not much of a Bond fan so I’m happy to just enjoy a clean sophisticated classic cocktail. Beyond that it makes a great starting point for a number of interesting variations.

Gin Drinks

If you love gin, check out some of our favorite gin cocktail recipes.

Vesper Martini Recipe

The Paper Plane is a variation on the Last Word with Bourbon as the base spirit.

Classic Cocktail Recipes

The Poet’s Dream is a gin cocktail made with gin, dry vermouth and Benedictine.