Vesper
Three parts gin, one part vodka, half a part Lillet, shaken very cold with a lemon peel. Ian Fleming's 1953 invention for James Bond — the only famous cocktail written by a novelist, and a better drink than the film version.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Chill a coupe or a deep Champagne goblet, as Bond had it.
Add the gin, vodka and Lillet to a shaker.
Fill with ice and shake hard for 12 seconds — 'very well until it's ice-cold'.
Strain into the chilled glass and add a large, thin strip of lemon peel.
A thoughtful finish
- Cocchi Americano is closer to the lost Kina Lillet than modern Lillet Blanc; use it if you want Fleming's bitterness.
- A higher-proof gin stands up to the shake and the dilution; 1953 Gordon's was 47%.
- Shaken is the recipe. Stirred makes a clearer, silkier Vesper that is not what Bond ordered, but is a fine drink.
Common mistakes
- Treating it as a vodka Martini; it is three-quarters gin.
- Skipping the Lillet; it is the drink's name and its aroma.
- Serving it anything less than ice-cold.
A few good questions.
What is in a Vesper?
Gin, vodka and Lillet in a 3 : 1 : ½ ratio, shaken, with a lemon peel. Fleming's text is the recipe.
Lillet Blanc or Cocchi Americano?
Fleming's Kina Lillet no longer exists. Lillet Blanc is the nominal successor and gentler; Cocchi Americano is closer to the original's quinine bite. Either is defensible.
Shaken or stirred?
Shaken, in the book. The famous line is Bond's preference, not a bartending rule; stirred is also good.
How strong is it?
Around 30% ABV after shaking — three ounces of spirit in a small glass. Bond drank one and then dinner.
Variations
- Martini — Gin and dry vermouth.
- Vodka Martini — Vodka and dry vermouth.
- Fifty-Fifty — Equal gin and dry vermouth.
- Corpse Reviver No. 2 — Gin, Lillet, orange liqueur, lemon and absinthe.
Where it comes from
1953 · London · Ian Fleming
Bond orders it in Casino Royale, the first novel, in 1953: ‘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.’ He names it for Vesper Lynd, the double agent he falls for, and Fleming — who drank Martinis — claimed the recipe was his own, worked out with a friend, Ivar Bryce. Kina Lillet was reformulated in 1986 into the gentler Lillet Blanc, and the gin has changed strength since 1953, so the modern Vesper is a reconstruction: a navy-strength gin and Cocchi Americano get closest. Shaken is Fleming’s instruction; the drink is cloudier and colder for it.
Sources
- Ian Fleming, Casino Royale, 1953 (novel)
- Lowell Edmunds, Martini, Straight Up, 1998 (book)
- David Wondrich, Imbibe!, 2015 (book)
Strength. About 2.26 US standard drinks at an estimated 32.1% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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