What Makes A Martini A Vesper?

Whether or not you are a James Bond fan, chances are, you've likely heard of the Vesper martini. M16 agent 007's iconic cocktail of choice has been making its way onto bar menus for decades — ever since it first appeared in Ian Fleming's 1953 novel "Casino Royale," the first entry in the wildly successful James Bond franchise.

The request for the drink as depicted in the book goes as follows: "A dry martini ... One. In a deep champagne goblet ... 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?"

With these words, the fictitious British secret agent immortalized his signature cocktail. Purists can recreate the Vesper martini using a simple recipe of gin, vodka, Lillet Blanc (as it is now known), and a twist of lemon, served "shaken, not stirred," a phrase nearly as iconic as his signature self-introduction: "Bond. James Bond."

James Bond spontaneously invents the drink at a high-stakes Texas Hold'em poker game at the Casino Royale in Montenegro, a scene that plays a central role in the book and subsequent film adaptations. The 2006 blockbuster, starring Daniel Craig as Bond, shows three-quarters of those sharing the poker table with him request the same drink, clearly taken by the suggestion of it. The scene later shows Bond at the bar, sipping the martini for the first time. "You know, that's not half-bad," he remarks. "I'm going to have to think up a name for that."

And name it he does — after the mysterious Vesper Lynd, his love interest in "Casino Royale" and one of the most complex and pivotal Bond girls in the franchise. "Because of the bitter aftertaste?" asks Lynd in response. "No. Because once you've tasted it, it's all you'll want to drink," he replies, in true, smoother-than-smooth Bond fashion.

Today, bars around the world offer various takes on the Vesper. But what drove the inspiration for Bond's original recipe? The book doesn't offer many insights here, but each component clearly contributes something specific to the overall mix. "Most of the complexity of this drink comes from the juxtaposition of Lillet (which, back in the day, had quinine in its makeup but no longer does) and the botanicals of the gin," says drink expert Leandro DiMonriva of The Educated Barfly. Given the relatively neutral taste of vodka, it likely does little to add to the flavor profile of the drink, instead merely upping the alcohol content. DiMonriva also notes that during the '50s when Fleming created the drink, vodka was the preferred clear spirit. 

DiMonriva is not a huge fan of the drink in its original form. In fact, neither was Ian Fleming, who wrote in 1958 to The Guardian that he invented the cocktail for Bond and then sampled it for himself some months later, only to find it "unpalatable."

Leandro DiMonriva notes that the classic recipe for the Vesper is likely only famous because of its association with James Bond and "Casino Royale," and that there are, in fact, better iterations of the martini that have been crafted by thoughtful bartenders over the years. His favorite? The Vesper Americano, created by Brent Falco in 2011. This heady creation is instead made with Cocchi Americano — an Italian apéritif that is flavored with cinchona bark (a natural source of quinine), making it a close substitute for the original Kina Lillet. The recipe also includes gin, vodka, and a few drops of Bittern's Hopped Grapefruit Bitters stirred (not shaken!) over ice, strained, and served with a slice of grapefruit peel. While James Bond prefers his cocktail "shaken, not stirred," DiMonriva swears by stirring the Vesper martini instead. It seems that we could very well have a new Bond villain on our hands, but don't knock it until you try it.