30 October, 2020
Vesper Martini
Vesper Martini (James Bond)
This is a classic cocktail made famous in the James Bond stories. My version is slightly different using cheese-stuffed olives and a different ratio than Bond's bar order in Casino Royale. I like the 50/50 split of the gin and vodka as it cuts the bite of the gin while lifting the vodka out of its normally bland flavor. The cheese creates a floating layer of goodness as it leaks out of the olive. Not for the faint-of-heart. Having more than one is ill-advised.
Ingredients
- 1 part Gin
- 1 part Vodka
- just a drop or two Blonde Lilet
Instructions
- Chill cocktail glass with ice water or stored in the freezer.
- Add all ingredients to shaker with a generous amount of ice.
- Shake vigorously but briefly.
- Strain into cocktail glass.
- Garnish with cheese-stuffed olives.
Notes
It’s important to not over-shake or allow to sit on the ice for too long. The magic of any martini is the ice cold, yet undiluted, booze. If it gets over shaken, you will end up with a timid, watered-down drink.
Blonde Lilet can be hard to find. Seek it out at the better-stocked liquor stores. Most won’t even know what it is. In a pinch, dry vermouth will work but go lightly. Like, open the bottle but don’t pour any into the drink, light.
For the olives, I like the stinky cheeses for this. Gorgonzola, Feta, or Blue Cheese all work great. These can sometimes be found pre-stuffed in the deli section but, I usually buy the cheese and the olives separately and stuff them by hand.