Vesper Cocktail Recipe
A cold, bone-dry martini variation of gin and vodka, lifted by a measure of Lillet Blanc.
- Category: Contemporary Classics
- Glass: Martini glass
- ABV: 28%
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: ~3 min
Ingredients
- Gin45 ml (1.5 oz)
- Vodka15 ml (0.5 oz)
- Lillet Blanc7.5 ml (0.3 oz)
How to Make It
- Add the gin, vodka and Lillet Blanc to a shaker filled with ice.
- Shake hard until the shaker is frosted.
- Strain into a chilled martini glass.
- Garnish with a large, thin lemon peel.
Garnish
A large, thin lemon peel.
What it tastes like
It hits hard.
The technique
Shaking. Anything with juice, syrup, egg white or cream gets shaken: the shaker chills the drink and adds roughly 20% water, and that water is what takes the edge off. Twelve to fifteen seconds, until the tin frosts over. Under-shaking leaves the drink harsh because it never got enough dilution.
Glass and ice
The conical martini glass. Made for drinks served without ice — the stem keeps your hand off the bowl and the cone funnels the aroma upward.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Gin
- London dry gin: juniper up front, citrus and coriander behind it. Brand really does show here — Beefeater is sharp, Hendrick's floral, Tanqueray juniper-heavy.
- Vodka
- Vodka brings body and alcohol rather than flavour; its job is to get out of the way of everything else. Which is why, in a vodka drink, how fresh the juice is matters far more than the brand.
The Story
Introduced in Ian Fleming's 1953 novel Casino Royale, where James Bond dictates the recipe and names it after Vesper Lynd; bars adopted it long afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Vesper mixed?
- It is shaken and served in a martini glass.
- How strong is a Vesper?
- Roughly 28% ABV as served — a spirit-strength drink — sipped slowly, and it wants a glass of water beside it.
- Can a Vesper be made without alcohol?
- Simply leaving the spirit out does not work — the body and the bitterness go with it. The 86 alcohol-free recipes in the catalogue are built to hit that balance from the start.
- Is a Vesper hard to make?
- Easy. No bar kit required — a measure, ice and a jar will do.
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Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.