But not for Bond. James Bond. In the first
installment of the series, Casino Royale, 007 doles out
specific instructions to the barman on how to prepare
his drink, a cocktail that would later become known as
the Vesper, after Bond girl Vesper Lynd. The recipe:
three measures of Gordon’s, one measure of vodka, half a
measure of Kina Lillet, with a slice of lemon — shaken.
Rules and conventions are thrown out, as Bond marches to
his own drum and drinks what he likes, Palazzi says. “He
likes to show off.”
‘Fleming and Bond-inspired martinis’
At Dukes, Palazzi has recreated the Vesper by using
No. 3 London Dry Gin, Lillet Blanc, Angostura bitters,
and Potocki vodka, a Polish vodka, in honor of the
real-life inspiration for Vesper Lynd, Polish-born
Christine Granville who was a wartime spy and reportedly
Fleming’s lover.
It’s the most requested Bond-themed martini at the
bar, where Palazzi serves about 50 a night at £16.95
(€21) a pop. It’s a steep pricetag, but Palazzi points
out that drinkers get a cocktail and a show with their
order, as drinks are executed with the pomp and
circumstance expected of a former Fleming hangout:
guests watch, seated at their tables as Palazzi wheels
out a trolley laden with bottles of spirits which have
just been pulled from the deep freeze.
The Fleming 89, meanwhile, was created in partnership
with London-based perfumery Floris whose No. 89 Eau de
Toilette was Bond’s signature scent. Inspired by tonka
beans used in the cologne, Palazzi infuses 750 ml of
Russian vodka with a handful of the vanilla-scented
beans to create his special elixir. In a frosted martini
glass, he adds a sugared rose, the infused vodka,
English vermouth, Lillet, a few drops of chocolate
bitter, tops it off with Russian vodka and as a final
touch, gives it a spritz of rose liqueur, to create a
chocolaty, dessert-like cocktail for £18.95 (€24).
With the Bond franchise celebrating the 50th
anniversary of the first movie release, here are a few
tips from Palazzi on how to clink to the milestone with
the kind of martini Bond himself would approve of.
* Keep spirits in the freeze to make sure they’re ice
cold.
* If you like you’re drinks slightly diluted, do it
like Bond and shake the martini mix. Otherwise, stir.
* If you want to make it with ice, make sure to drain
the water first.
* Work fast.
* Use an organic lemon as you want the oils from the
peel, not the wax, to penetrate the drink.
* Martinis were meant to be sipped, not gulped.
James Bond and Kina Lillet
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