Vesper Cocktail
Made famous by James Bond, this Vesper Cocktail is crafted with gin, vodka, and Lillet Blanc, then finished with a lemon twist. With subtle citrus and floral notes, this sophisticated cocktail is a lovely alternative to a straight martini.
Simple but luxurious, this libation offers the best of both worlds to those that are partial to only one type of martini (either gin or vodka). Whether you like it shaken or stirred, this cocktail makes an impression from the first sip! Read more about who invented this tasty cocktail in our Blog Comments & Tips.
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RECIPE
(Check out our Step by Step Instructions below the recipe card.)
Recipe updated as of 3/26/22
VESPER COCKTAIL
Ingredients
Instructions
- Start by chilling a martini glass (see Note #1). Add ice cubes to a cocktail shaker. Measuring with a jigger, add gin, vodka, and Lillet Blanc.
- This cocktail can either be shaken or stirred (see Note #2). To shake, cover and shake vigorously. To stir, use a long bar spoon to gently stir the cocktail around the ice.
- Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist (see Note #3), and serve immediately.
Notes
- There are two ways to chill a martini glass. 1) Place a martini glass in your refrigerator about 15 to 30 minutes before you start preparing your cocktail. 2) Fill a martini glass with ice and water, and let it chill while you prepare your cocktail. Once you are ready to pour, dump out the water and ice from your martini glass, and pour the cocktail into your chilled glass.
- With 4 ½ ounces of alcohol per drink, this cocktail packs a serious punch! We prefer to shake this cocktail, which dilutes it slightly. This is a powerful cocktail, so a mild dilution is welcome. For a more pure taste (without dilution), stir (do not shake) this cocktail.
- To make a lovely spiral, grab each end of the strip of lemon peel and directly over your cocktail, twist the peel in opposite directions, like you are twisting off a candy wrapper. The spray from the lemon zest will “perfume” the top layer of your cocktail and give it a delicious citrus aroma. To cut the lemon twist, we used the Zyliss 2 in 1 Zester. If you don’t have this tool, check out the video on our Tips & Tricks Page (TIP #14 - How to Make a Citrus Twist - without any special tools) to learn how.
- Making Cocktails for a Crowd? This cocktail can be made ahead for any number of people. Just pre-mix your ingredients and add to a pitcher. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. When ready, just stir well and pour enough for 1 to 2 cocktails at a time into an ice filled shaker, shake vigorously (or stir), pour into chilled martini glasses, garnish, and serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
257.10Fat (grams)
0.00Sat. Fat (grams)
0.00Carbs (grams)
0.00Fiber (grams)
0.00Net carbs
0.00Sugar (grams)
0.00Protein (grams)
0.00Sodium (milligrams)
2.24Cholesterol (grams)
0.00Nutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods.
Step by Step Instructions
PREPARATION
Organize all your tools and ingredients before you begin. Getting all your ingredients in one place at the beginning will shorten your prep time.
STEP 1
Start by chilling a martini glass (see Note below).
Add ice cubes (about ½ to 1 cup) to a cocktail shaker. Measuring with a jigger, add 3 ounces gin, 1 ounce vodka, and ½ ounce Lillet Blanc.
Note: There are two ways to chill a martini glass. 1) Place a martini glass in your refrigerator about 15 to 30 minutes before you start preparing your cocktail. 2) Fill a martini glass with ice and water, and let it chill while you prepare your cocktail. Once you are ready to pour, dump out the water and ice from your martini glass, and pour the cocktail into your chilled glass.
For more classic style cocktail shakers, here are two great options:
STEP 2
This cocktail can either be shaken or stirred (see Note below). To shake, cover and shake vigorously. To stir, use a long bar spoon to gently stir the cocktail around the ice.
Note: With 4 ½ ounces of alcohol per drink, this cocktail packs a serious punch! We prefer to shake this cocktail, which dilutes it slightly. This is a powerful cocktail, so a mild dilution is welcome. For a more pure taste (without dilution), stir (do not shake) this cocktail.
STEP 3a
Strain into a chilled martini glass.
STEP 3b
Using the blade of a Zyliss 2 in 1 zester, cut a strip of lemon peel (see Note below). To make a lovely spiral, grab each end of the strip of lemon peel and directly over your cocktail, twist the peel in opposite directions, like you are twisting off a candy wrapper. The spray from the lemon zest will “perfume” the top layer of your cocktail and give it a delicious citrus aroma.
Note: If you don’t have this tool, check out the video on our Tips & Tricks Page (TIP #14 - How to Make a Citrus Twist) to learn how to make a twist without any special tools.
SERVING
Serve immediately with a lemon twist.
Notes:
Servings: Yields one cocktail (4.5 ounces).
Making Cocktails for a Crowd? This cocktail can be made ahead for any number of people. Just pre-mix your ingredients and add to a pitcher. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. When ready, just stir well and pour enough for 1 to 2 cocktails at a time into an ice filled shaker, shake vigorously (or stir), pour into chilled martini glasses, garnish, and serve immediately.
Blog Comments & Tips
A Simple but Luxurious Cocktail!
If you love martinis and are a fan of James Bond movies, then this sophisticated cocktail is for you!
Made famous by James Bond, the Vesper Cocktail (aka: Vesper Martini) was actually invented by Ian Fleming, the British author of the James Bond spy novels. The Vesper Martini first made an appearance in his novel “Casino Royale,” which was published in 1953. This sophisticated martini was named after one of Fleming’s fictional characters, Vesper Lynd, who was a double agent in Casino Royale.
James Bond was always very specific about how he wanted his cocktails. In Fleming’s novels, Bond would dictate to the bartender exact measurements, specific alcohol brands to use, whether his libation should be shaken or stirred, and his preferred temperature for the cocktail. As someone who is very specific about how I like my martinis, Bond is definitely a man after my own heart!!
Although James Bond had a different opinion about which gin to use, we found that The Botanist Gin offers a nicely balanced herbaceous quality to this cocktail, without being overpowering. My preferred vodka for martinis is Belvedere Vodka, as it has a very smooth finish. Combined with Lillet Blanc, you have the perfect Vesper Cocktail to start off a festive evening.
For those who are partial to vodka martinis, and those that will not even consider anything else but a gin martini, this cocktail offers the best of both worlds. This sophisticated cocktail is finished with a lemon twist. With subtle citrus and floral notes, this cocktail is a lovely alternative to a straight martini.
How do you ensure the best results from our recipe?
Our 5 tips to making a great Vesper Cocktail:
High quality alcohol. We used Lillet Blanc, The Botanist Gin, and Belvedere Vodka. In our opinion, there is no substitute for Lillet Blanc in this drink. You can use your favorite gin or vodka, but we like the combined aroma and taste of this particular vodka and gin.
We prefer to shake this cocktail, which dilutes it slightly. This is a powerful cocktail, so a mild dilution is welcome. For a more pure taste (without dilution), stir (do not shake) this cocktail.
Chill your martini glass.
Don’t forget the twist! The citrus finish that floats on top of this cocktail is a lovely complement to the citrus and floral notes in the Lillet Blanc.
Drink responsibly. I’m sure this goes without saying, but as mentioned before, this is a substantial cocktail and packs a serious punch with 4 ½ ounces of alcohol per drink.
Enjoy and let us know what you think by commenting below, rating our recipes, subscribing, following, and liking us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube! Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.
Santé!
Mich
Footnote: Remember to twist the lemon peel directly over the cocktail.
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