Vesper (cocktail)

Vesper (Cocktail)[edit | edit source]

The Vesper is a cocktail that was originally made famous by Ian Fleming's James Bond in the novel Casino Royale. It is a drink that is as intriguing as the character who ordered it, and it has a history that is rich and full of interesting twists and turns.

History[edit | edit source]

The Vesper cocktail was first introduced in the 1953 novel Casino Royale, where James Bond instructs a bartender to create a drink that includes three measures of Gordon's Gin, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet, shaken until it's ice-cold, and then topped with a large thin slice of lemon peel. Bond names the drink after the character Vesper Lynd, with whom he is romantically involved in the novel.

Ingredients[edit | edit source]

The original recipe for the Vesper, as described by Bond, is as follows:

Three measures of Gordon's Gin
One measure of vodka
Half a measure of Kina Lillet
Lemon peel for garnish

Preparation[edit | edit source]

To prepare a Vesper, the gin, vodka, and Kina Lillet are combined in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. The mixture is then shaken until it is ice-cold. The cocktail is strained into a chilled cocktail glass and garnished with a large thin slice of lemon peel.

Variations[edit | edit source]

Over the years, there have been several variations of the Vesper due to the unavailability of the original ingredients. For instance, Kina Lillet was reformulated in 1986 and is now sold as Lillet Blanc, which is less bitter than the original. Some bartenders substitute Lillet Blanc with other aperitif wines to get closer to the original taste. Similarly, the original Gordon's Gin has also been reformulated and is now less juniper-forward than in the past.

In Popular Culture[edit | edit source]

The Vesper has gained a significant amount of popularity due to its association with James Bond. It has been featured in several other Bond novels and films, and is often ordered by Bond with his famous phrase, "shaken, not stirred."

References[edit | edit source]

Casino Royale, Ian Fleming, 1953
The Essential Cocktail: The Art of Mixing Perfect Drinks, Dale DeGroff, 2008
The Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Master Bartender, Dale DeGroff, 2002

External Links[edit | edit source]

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