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If you’re looking for a cocktail that’s equal parts sophisticated and secretive, we might have the perfect suggestion for you. Be warned though, consisting of neat liquor only, James Bond’s Vesper Martini packs a serious punch. No wonder 007 limited himself to just one when ‘concentrating’!

Now, we’ve had to take a little bit of artistic license with the recipe itself. While all the ingredients are real, the author of the original Bond tales, Ian Fleming, did invent this intoxicating little number himself back in 1953. Some of the components of the Vesper Martini no longer actually exist!

1. Facebook: Vesper on amazon.com here: Vesper auf.
2. Casino Royale good theme by David Arnold.NO Copyright Infringement Intended.

Don’t worry though, we’ve come up with a few tweaks for the modern drinker. For a full Casino Royale experience sip your martini and try the latest pokies from Bitstarz. It’s much safer than trying to outfox terrorist financiers at the poker table!

A Bit of Background to the Vesper Martini

Fleming introduced the Vesper Martini to the world in Casino Royale. In the scene in question, he meets a CIA contact called Felix Leiter. He describes the recipe below in precise detail, prompting Leiter to ask about this unusual blend.

Bond tells Leiter that he invented the drink but is still looking for a name. Once he settles on one, he says he’s going to patent it. Later in the same novel, the ever-so-seductive Vesper Lynd appears, who the drink is eventually named after. And, thus, a classic cocktail was born!

Vesper Martini Recipe

Equipment:

• Cocktail shaker.
• Martini glass (classic V-shaped cocktail glass with thin stem).
• Mesh strainer.

Ingredients for a Single Serving:

This first list of ingredients contains those described by Fleming in the Casino Royale book itself. As mentioned, you won’t be able to find some of them. However, we are trying to recreate this classic beverage. Therefore, it’s important to know exactly what we’re aiming for before we started messing around with substitutions!

To make Fleming’s Vesper Martini as he describes it, you would have needed:

• Three ounces of gin – probably Gordon’s.
• One ounce of vodka.
• Half an ounce of Kina Lillet – the tricky bit!
• Lemon for garnish.
• Cubed ice.

Our younger readers have probably never heard of Kina Linnet. It’s a discontinued aromatic wine from France. Thanks to its quinine content, it was quite a bitter tasting drink. For reference, quinine is what gives tonic water its characteristic taste.

Unfortunately, the manufacturer no longer makes it. This is where we have to get creative!

The Kina Lillet could be replaced by Lillet Blanc. This too contained quinine and would have made the perfect substitution until the 1980s. However, the company no longer uses quinine, resulting in a more delicate flavour that we honestly couldn’t tell you if Bond would have been impressed by!

If this softer option doesn’t do it for you, you can substitute the Kina Lillet for half ounce of Cocchi Americano. This will add a little bitterness to your cocktail. Similarly, you could stick with Bond’s brand and use Lillet Blanc. A few dashes of aromatic bitters will make it that little bit sharper and more like the original.

While the most obvious omission from your Vesper Martini is going to be the Kina Lillet, it’s worth noting that the Gordon’s available today isn’t quite the same as that made in the 1950s either. This is slightly more trivial but if you’re aiming for authenticity, choose a more peppery gin over a floral one. You can use whatever brand of vodka you prefer.

Instructions:

Knocking up a Vesper Martini shouldn’t take you more than around three minutes. You don’t need a degree in mixology either!

• Combine gin, vodka, and your Kina Lillet substitute in your cocktail shaker.
• Add a generous handful of cubed ice.
• Shake well for around 10-15 seconds.
• Rub the lemon zest around the rim of the glass.
• Drop the rest of the zest into the glass before pouring.
• Rest the mesh strainer over your glass.
• Pour the contents of the shaker through the strainer. The double straining method should ensure a smooth cocktail with no shards of ice.

Shaken or Stirred?

Bond’s trademark insistence on his martinis being ‘shaken not stirred’ might raise the eyebrows of cocktail aficionados. Typically, a martini is stirred, not shaken.

Indeed, there is a bit of good old-fashioned science behind the preference for stirring too. Stirring mixes the different liquids sufficiently while not agitating the ice too much. Since the ice isn’t getting jumbled around in a cocktail shaker, it’s less prone to melting and diluting the drink.

Yet, throughout Bond’s adventures, the international man of mystery really is quite adamant about the mixing technique used. The now-iconic line first appeared in the 1956 novel Diamonds are Forever.

However, Bond’s first literary use of the famous ‘shaken not stirred’ request comes later in Dr. No. In Bond movies, it’s not used by the secret agent until the 1964 classic Goldfinger.

Fleming never told us the exact reason but perhaps we can infer one from the first time Bond orders his signature drink. In Casino Royale, Bond tells his CIA contact Felix Leiter that this potent cocktail is a favourite when he’s concentrating. While he admits to liking it ‘large’ and ‘very strong’, perhaps the extra dilution from shaking takes the edge off this boozy number, allowing 007 to stay focused.

Whatever the nuances, this is a great little drink for those fond of a strong sharp drink and of course Bond fans. Happy mixing!

Casino Royale: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The soundtrack to the 2006 film Casino Royale was released by Sony Classical on November 14, 2006. The music was composed by David Arnold and is Arnold's fourth soundtrack for the popular James Bond movie series. Frequent collaborator Nicholas Dodd orchestrated and conducted the score.

Casino Royale Vesper Drink

Development[edit]

Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli announced on July 26, 2006 that Chris Cornell, the former Audioslave and Soundgarden lead singer, composed and would sing 'You Know My Name', the Casino Royale title song.^[1] Cornell collaborated with David Arnold who composed the film's score. Cornell was first reported to be writing and performing the song on July 20, 2006 by the Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat. 'You Know My Name' is the first theme song since 1983's Octopussy to use a different title than the film, and Cornell is the first male performer since a-ha (in 1987's The Living Daylights). It is only the fourth Bond theme (after the opening medley of Dr. No, the instrumental theme from On Her Majesty's Secret Service and 'All Time High' from Octopussy) to make no reference to the title of the film. The soundtrack was completed early in the morning on October 11, 2006.^[2] The soundtrack was released on November 14, 2006.

Various names were reported in the media prior to the announcement, some reports going so far as to have the performers apparently claim they were working on the theme. This list includes Tina Turner^[3] who previously sang 'GoldenEye' for the 1995 Bond film of the same name, and Tony Christie.^[4]

Title song and tracks[edit]

The Casino Royale title song 'You Know My Name' by Chris Cornell is not featured on the soundtrack album, but released separately as a single. However, motifs from the song serve as Bond's theme throughout the film, e.g. the tracks 'I'm the Money' and 'Aston Montenegro', feature two different instrumental renditions of its chorus. The 'You Know My Name' CD single was released on December 11, 2006.

Some cues for the movie that did not make the final selection of tracks for the soundtrack album are available as bonus track downloads in iTunes from the iTunes Store.

The traditional James Bond Theme builds throughout the film before appearing in its full form over the end credits as track 25, 'The Name's Bond . . . James Bond', on the official album.

Track listing[edit]

Casino Royale

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^'Chris Cornell Has Written and Will Perform the Main Title Song for CASINO ROYALE'. 2006-07-26. Retrieved 2006-07-26.
2. ^'David Arnold'. Archived from the original on 2006-11-16. Retrieved 2006-11-17.
3. ^'Tina Turner links herself to Casino Royale theme song'. MI6.co.uk. 2006-06-21. Retrieved 2006-06-21.
4. ^'Tony Christie Writing 'Royale' Theme Song?'. CommanderBond.net. 2005-10-02. Archived from the original on 2007-10-13. Retrieved 2006-06-21.

External links[edit]

Casino Royale Vesper Lynd