A Vesper martini on a table.

Here's What Makes A Martini A Vesper

NEWS

By DEVIN PARR

Daniel Craig as James Bond.
Whether or not you are a James Bond fan, you've likely heard of the Vesper martini. M16 agent 007's iconic cocktail of choice has been making its way onto bar menus for decades.
The Vesper martini on a table.
Ian Fleming's "Casino Royale" describes it as, "A dry martini ... One. In a deep champagne goblet ... Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet."
A bartender pouring a Vesper martini.
The book also adds, "Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?" The British secret agent has immortalized his signature cocktail.
A bartender holding up a Vesper martini.
Purists can recreate the Vesper martini using a simple recipe of gin, vodka, Lillet Blanc (as it is now known), and a twist of lemon, served "shaken, not stirred."