The Vesper, made famous by Ian Fleming in Casino Royale, his first James Bond 007 book, is worthy of the gods. The delightful way the gin interacts with the twangy, piny, citrus notes of the Lillet blanc, all bolstered by a dose of vodka. Mmmm. Its pale yellow glimmer beckons the lips to take a dip in its icy splendor. But be careful, at 3 and a half ounces of alcohol, the potency of this beauty sneaks up on you. You may start divulging secrets to those around you.
Your Video Guide to Making the Perfect Cocktail
{ and what to pair with it }
Entry No. 4: December 9, 2007
The Vesper { paired with warmed olives }
The recipe:
2 ounces gin
1 ounce vodka
1/2 ounce Lillet blanc
orange peel, for garnish
Stir for 30 seconds in pitcher half-filled with ice. Strain into well chilled cocktail glass.
Add orange peel.
Watch Steve make The Vesper cocktail and Paul prepare warmed olives. (Click ► to play.)
The Vesper
The Birth of a Cocktail
“A dry martini,” he said. “One. In a deep champagne goblet.”
“Oui, monsieur.”
“Just a moment. 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?”
“Certainly monsieur.” The barman seemed pleased with the idea.
“Gosh, that's certainly a drink,” said Leiter.
Bond laughed. “When I'm . . . er . . . concentrating,” he explained, “I never have more than one drink before dinner. But I do like that one to be large and very strong and very cold, and very well-made. I hate small portions of anything, particularly when they taste bad. This drink’s my own invention. I'm going to patent it when I think of a good name.”
— Casino Royale, Chapter 7: Rouge et Noir
And the world came up with a great name for the drink, after Vesper Lynd, Bond’s love interest.
Pair with these seasoned, warmed olives.
Each olive variety brings out a different flavor note in the cocktail . . . so simple . . . so delicious.
The recipe:
1 1/2 cups mixed olives
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 garlic clove (quartered)
3 sprigs thyme
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
citrus peel (lemon or orange)
feel free to substitute seasonings
(caraway and fennel seeds work well too).
Rinse olives and heat up olive oil.
Add all ingredients and stir.
Warm for about 5 minutes.
Serve warm or room temperature.
Experiment with your twists. For the Vesper, we like to take a firm orange and use a standard vegetable peeler to get a nice wide garnish for the cocktail. Make sure to peel the orange over the Vesper to impart the oils from its rind.
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Warmed Olives
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