“Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet.

The actual order for what would become known as the Vesper went like this: This is why many people associate this drink with the famous line “Shaken, not stirred.” However, the line wasn’t used until 3 years later in the 1956 novel, Diamonds Are Forever. With as much as 5 ounces of straight alcohol, temperature is definitely a factor to take into consideration. Shaking dilutes the alcohol, which is helpful in the case of the Vesper because of the potency of it. This is probably why Bond ordered his drink be shaken. Over the years, the alcohol content in the brands used to make the Vesper have decreased considerably, but even with the decreased alcohol content, this drink still packs a punch. That made this easily a 39% ABV (78 proof) cocktail, which is the equivalent of a straight shot of vodka today. In the 50’s, Gordon’s was around 94 proof, and vodka was bottled at 100 proof. Bond was very specific about 2 of the ingredients to be used, one of which was Gordon’s gin. The Vesper is a rather large, very strong drink.

And, even though martinis contain some of the Vesper’s ingredients, what they don’t usually contain is the high alcohol content of the original Vesper. They’re also typically garnished with an olive, not lemon. Martinis usually aren’t made with vodka, but they do contain gin and vermouth. This differs from a martini in a few ways. It’s a combination of gin, vodka and dry vermouth with a garnish of lemon peel. The Vesper is also known as the “Bond Martini”, which is a bit misleading because it isn’t a true martini. James Bond loves a good cocktail, and that’s exactly what the Vesper is.

It’s a good drink, all around, even if you aren’t a fan of Bond. It was entirely fictional, but is now somewhat famous, due to Bond’s popularity. The drink was created by Fleming in what was his first James Bond book. It was first ordered by the International Man of Mystery in Ian Flemming’s 1953 book, Casino Royale. Fans of James Bond probably already have some idea where the Vesper comes from.

Casino royale vesper martini