Vesper

A spirit-forward riff on the martini, the Vesper marries gin and vodka under a whisper of Lillet Blanc, shaken hard until ice-cold and finished with a wide ribbon of expressed lemon peel. Ian Fleming wrote it into 1953's Casino Royale, where James Bond dictates the build to a barman and names the drink after Vesper Lynd. The original called for Kina Lillet — discontinued since 1986 — and its lost quinine bite is part of why the modern Lillet Blanc version reads softer than Bond's.

ClassicSpirit-Forward

Ingredients

  • 1.5 ozGin
  • 0.5 ozVodka
  • 0.25 ozLillet Blanc

Garnish: Lemon Peel

Preparation

Stirred · Coupe · None

  1. 1.

    add

    Add the gin, vodka, and Lillet Blanc to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

  2. 2.

    shake

    Shake very well until thoroughly chilled, per the original Casino Royale instruction.

  3. 3.

    strain

    Strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass, served straight up with no ice.

  4. 4.

    express

    Express a large thin slice of lemon peel over the surface and drop it in as garnish.

Flavor Profile

herbal
41%
floral
30%
heat
29%
citrus
28%
dilution
21%
spiced
20%
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