Every James Bond fan knows this recipe as the first martini that Bond ordered in Ian Fleming's 1953 book, "Casino Royale" (or the 2006 movie). Named after the seductive double agent Vesper Lynd, it is possibly the most famous drink order in history and extremely precise.
While the Vesper is often classified as a martini, it really defies categorization. A classic martini contains gin, dry vermouth, and an olive or two. A vodka martini simply replaces the gin with vodka. Bond uniquely combines the two spirits, and instead of using vermouth, he requests Kina Lillet.
A classic martini contains gin, dry vermouth, and an olive or two. A vodka martini simply replaces the gin with vodka. Bond uniquely combines the two spirits, and instead of using vermouth, he requests Kina Lillet. And rather than olives, Bond uses lemon peel as a garnish. It’s a drink as unique as 007 himself.
Fleming even invented a special cocktail recipe in the 1953 novel Casino Royale, which he named the "Vesper martini," after Bond's doomed lover. The spy's drinks do more than just liquor him up ahead of a mission; they add to the mystique of his character.