The Vesper - The Cocktail James Bond Invented (aka The James Bond Martini)

Описание: Learn how to make a Vesper worthy of being called a James Bond cocktail. The series, Cocktails and Pussy Galore, shows you how to drink like 007 using the Ian Fleming books (not the movies) as the source, which takes you beyond the typical James Bond Martini.

James Bond created this drink on a whim in the 1953 book, Casino Royale, while showing off to Felix Leiter and the rest of the casino floor that he was a wily, Jamaican, trust-fund, playboy. It's not real clear who the Vesper's inventor was. The drink was supposedly crafted by Fleming himself or a friend, Ivar Bryce, or a bartender from Dukes Bar in London. Also, Fleming supposedly found the drink a little too unpalatable for his tastes (http://gu.com/p/3ayz7/tw). And this is a guy who's wish-fulfillment, superhero, alter-ego, version of himself, ordered glasses of straight vodka for dinner.

The ingredients in this drink are a little troublesome. Bond calls specifically for Gordon's Gin, but they reformulated their spirit from 94 proof back in Bond's day, to 80 proof today. I stick with Beefeater. It remains a higher proof and it was a Bond favorite (for other drinks). People will use Tanqueray because it's 94 proof. It's not a Bond spirit, but it will do the job. Bond specifies that the vodka be made from grain. The vodka would've been higher proof. I like using Stoli 100, but Absolut 100 or another 100 proof vodka will work just fine.

The hardest part of making this drink is replacing the, now discontinued, Kina Lillet. Kina or Quinquina was a category of spirits that thrived from the middle of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century. They were aromatised wines that contained a significant amount of quinine, a bitter ingredient of Tonic Water and component in 19th century anti-malarial medication. Kinas were developed, along with Tonic Water, as a means of making the taste of this bitter medicine and eventually it became something people began drinking for enjoyment.

However, Kinas began to fall out of favor as our diets and palettes began to swing toward the ultra sugary and über salty in the wake of the post-war food industrialization. Kina Lillet was reformulated in the 1980's, having dropped "Kina" from the name some time earlier. It became the sweeter version we have today, called Lillet Blanc. In order to get back to something closer to the bitter elements, David Wondrich suggests using a 1/8 tsp of quinine powder, which can be expensive and hard to find. David Solmonson from 12 Bottle Bar, has a method that is a little more accessible. He suggests supplementing Lillet Blanc with a dash of Aromatic Bitters and Citric Acid (a cheap and natural food preservative).

Another popular alternative is to sub in Cocchi Americano. It is supposedly very similar to the original Kina Lillet. It has a lot of the fruity palate and stronger sense of bitterness that will help awaken your appetite before a meal.

The newest addition to the Kina Lillet replacements is Kina L'Aéro d'Or (formerly Kina L'Avion d'Or). It's a Swiss product made in the style of 19th Century Kinas. It's a great alternative. It's more expensive and harder to find than the other options, but well worth it if you can track one down. Kina L'Aéro d'Or is fruity, bitter and complex in The Vesper. This one really shines. It makes a flavor profile that's similar to a Dry Martini (at a really high ratio like 6:1), but the quinine really comes through and manages to cut through the Vodka and round everything out.

No matter how you make it, this is a really flavorful, refined and exciting cocktail. As Bond declares to Vesper, "It's very appropriate to the violet hour when my cocktail will now be drunk all over the world." (I realize that quote is out of context, but it works.) So, this magic hour, mix up a Vesper and sip it as the sun slips behind the horizon at dusk turns the sky violet. Cheers!



Recipe:
1.5 oz Gin
0.5 oz Vodka
0.25 oz Kina or Cocchi (optionally, Lillet + Aromatic Bitters + Citric Acid)
Lemon Twist
Shake (preferably Stir) with ice. Double strain into chilled glass. Garnish with Lemon Twist.



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Featured in This Episode:

Beefeater Gin
http://www.beefeatergin.com/dry/

Stoli 100
http://www.stoli.com/product/#stolich...
   / stolivideos  

Kina L'Aéro d'Or
http://tempusfugitspirits.com/kina-ve...

Cocchi Americano
http://www.cocchi.it/eng/americano.htm

Lillet Blanc
http://www.lillet.com/intl-en/range#l...

Angostura Aromatic Bitters
http://amzn.to/1KUJrhl

NOW Foods Citric Acid
http://amzn.to/1OyBu3K