The Vesper: Ian Fleming's Martini and How to Make It Today
Three measures of gin, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet, shaken until ice cold, with a large thin slice of lemon peel. Few cocktails have such a precise literary birth.
By Margot Ellery · · Updated · 4 min read
The Vesper closes the "evolution of the martini" flight that once appeared on the menu at Bar Pleiades, credited to "Ian Fleming, Casino Royale 1953." It is the moment the martini left history and entered fiction, and it remains one of the most ordered drinks in the world.
The scene
In the seventh chapter of Casino Royale, the first James Bond novel, Bond orders a dry martini in a deep champagne goblet and gives the barman precise instructions: three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet, shaken very well until ice cold, then a large thin slice of lemon peel. He later names the drink after Vesper Lynd, the double agent at the center of the novel.
Fleming, a keen drinker himself, knew how to make a drink sound irresistible. He also made the order distinctive: gin and vodka together, shaken rather than stirred, and a quinine-based wine instead of vermouth.
The Kina Lillet problem
Kina Lillet was a French aperitif wine from the Bordeaux region, flavored with citrus and quinine. In 1986 the company reformulated it as Lillet Blanc, with less bitterness. Modern Lillet Blanc is lovely, but it makes a softer, sweeter Vesper than Fleming's.
Many bartenders now use Cocchi Americano, an Italian aperitif wine with a more pronounced quinine bitterness, as a closer match to the original. If you only have Lillet Blanc, add a dash of aromatic or orange bitters to bring back some edge.
The strength question
Gordon's gin in Fleming's day was bottled at a higher strength than most gins today, and vodka was often stronger too. A Vesper made with modern bottlings is slightly softer. A navy-strength or higher-proof London dry gin can restore the original's punch, but remember this is already a very strong drink. A traditional "measure" was also bigger than many modern ones, so we have scaled the recipe down to something more civilized.
Shaken, not stirred?
Conventional wisdom says spirit-only drinks should be stirred for clarity and texture, as we explain in our ice guide. Bond shakes. Shaking makes the Vesper colder, more diluted and slightly cloudy with tiny ice shards. If you want to drink it the way Fleming described, shake it. If you prefer a silkier drink, stir it. Neither is wrong.
The recipe
Our version: 45 ml London dry gin, 15 ml vodka and 7.5 ml Cocchi Americano or Lillet Blanc. Shake or stir with plenty of ice and strain into a chilled coupe or a small champagne glass. Express a long, wide strip of lemon peel over the drink and drop it in.
What "Kina" meant
"Kina" refers to quinquina, the French name for cinchona bark, the source of quinine. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, quinine-flavored wines were popular as aperitifs, partly because quinine was associated with health in the colonies, where it was used against malaria. Kina Lillet was one of these quinquinas: a white Bordeaux wine with citrus liqueurs and a noticeable bitter edge. The bitterness is what made it a good partner for gin.
Modern alternatives
| Product | Style | Result in a Vesper |
|---|---|---|
| Lillet Blanc | Soft, fruity, lightly bitter | Smooth and approachable; add a dash of bitters for edge. |
| Cocchi Americano | Italian, more quinine and citrus | Closest to the original's bitterness. |
| Other blanc quinquinas | French, bittersweet | Good when you can find them. |
From the page to the screen
The Vesper had a second life after the 2006 film of Casino Royale, when Daniel Craig's Bond orders one at the card table and recites the recipe. Bars around the world reported a wave of orders. Some of the best-known modern versions are served at hotel bars in London, where bartenders freeze the spirits and the glass and pour the drink straight from the freezer, a technique that gives a dense, cold texture with very little dilution.
Common mistakes
- Making it too big. Fleming's measures make a very large, very strong drink. Our card scales it to a sensible size.
- Using a sweet aperitif. Lillet Blanc alone can make a soft drink. Add bitters or use a more bitter quinquina.
- Skimping on the lemon. Fleming asked for "a large thin slice of lemon peel." It matters for aroma.
- Warm glass. Chill the glass in the freezer.
A note on strength
Even scaled down, a Vesper contains well over one standard drink of alcohol. Serve it small, enjoy it slowly and have food on hand.
Gin and vodka: why both?
Fleming's choice of both gin and vodka in the same drink puzzles some bartenders, but it makes sense. Vodka softens the gin's botanicals and adds body without adding flavor, so the drink tastes rounder and cleaner than a straight gin martini. It also reflects the period: in the early 1950s, vodka was becoming fashionable in the West, and Bond, as always, was meant to be ahead of the times.
Fleming specified Gordon's gin. Any classic London dry gin with clear juniper works; a gin of 43 percent or more gives the drink more structure against the vodka and the aperitif wine.
How it tastes
The Vesper is cleaner and more austere than a gin martini. The vodka softens the juniper, the aperitif wine adds a faint fruity bitterness and the lemon gives lift. It is a cold, bracing, very adult drink. Serve it small and very cold, and do not have more than one if you plan to play cards.
For the full story of how the martini got here, read From Martinez to Dry Martini.
Sources and further reading
Questions and answers
What is in a Vesper martini?
Gin, vodka and Kina Lillet in Ian Fleming's original. Today Lillet Blanc or Cocchi Americano is used.
What can I use instead of Kina Lillet?
Cocchi Americano is the closest match. Lillet Blanc with a dash of bitters also works.
