“Shaken, not stirred.”
While the way James Bond prefers his martini is at odds with today’s bartending culture (you’re supposed to stir it … and martinis should probably be gin-based), it hasn’t stopped Belvedere Vodka from crafting an official James Bond martini … that is, yes, both shaken and vodka-based.
A collaboration with the UK film company EON Productions, the just-announced Official Belvedere 007 Martini is 60ml Belvedere Vodka, 10ml dry vermouth, “shaken, not stirred” and then finished with a lemon twist.
The 007 martini has been a staple of Ian Fleming’s Bond novels since 1956; it was first uttered in film by, ironically, villain Dr. No in the first Bond film (1962’s Dr. No) and finally by Sean Connery himself in 1964’s Goldfinger.
But here’s a fun fact that, ahem, muddles the “official” title: Bond’s original choice of cocktail — according to Ian Fleming’s first Bond novel Casino Royale — was actually a mix of gin, vodka and Kina Lillet. Fleming called it a Vesper Martini, after Vesper Lynd, the original Bond girl.
Here’s an excerpt:
“A dry martini,” [Bond] said. “One. In a deep champagne goblet.”
- “Oui, monsieur.”
- “Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?”
- “Certainly, monsieur.” The barman seemed pleased with the idea.
So, there you have it. If you’re looking for an “original” 007 martini, Fleming spells it out step-by-step. Either way, you can still make it shaken, not stirred.
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