Tag: cocktails

James Bond vesper martini

James Bond Got It Right with the Vesper Martini

Dani Malloy2 Comments

“Shaken, not stirred.”

We all know this is how Bond likes his martinis. But in Casino Royale (the movie and the book), we learned just exactly what makes 007’s cocktail so singular.

James Bond drinking a vesper
Jimmy sippin’ on a Vesper (image: cinefantastiqueonline.com)

In this clip, Bond orders a drink that’s three measures Gordon’s gin, one measure vodka, half a measure Kina Lillet, and a thin slice of lemon peel for garnish. Lillet doesn’t make Kina anymore, but Lillet Blanc—aka white Lillet—is Kina rebranded into a similar formula.

I’ve had this version of the Vesper before, and it’s strong, yet dangerously drinkable. The vodka you use should be smooth—you don’t want its “flavor” to overpower the drink. I usually add a little bit more Lillet than what’s called for, and sometimes even a squirt of fresh lemon juice if I’m in the mood.

At least that’s the recipe I was planning on sharing before I stumbled onto Q Lemon: lemon-flavored tonic water that’s light, tart, and subtly sweet. Its the perfect complement to the Vesper’s components, plus who doesn’t like a few bubbles in their glass?

ketel one, boodles gin, Q lemon, Lillet Blanc

The Bubbly Vesper
  • 1 oz. vodka
  • 1 1/2 oz. dry gin
  • 3/4 oz. Lillet Blanc
  • 3/4 oz. Q Lemon
  • Lemon peel

007 Bubbly Vesper Martini

Shake the vodka, gin, and Lillet over ice until chilled. Strain into a martini glass and top with chilled Q Lemon. Garnish with a lemon peel. Tastes best when gambling for millions in your best cocktail attire.

Classic Cocktails: Aviation at Marion Street Cheese Market

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image

The Aviation: a drink that looks positively radioactive and tastes like heaven. The floral notes from the gin and violet liqueur balance the dash of sweet cherry, and fresh lemon juice adds a tangy brightness at the end. The only thing wrong with this drink is that it took me way too long to try one.

Marion Street Cheese Market’s Aviation:
Letherbee gin
Creme de violette
Luxardo Maraschino
Lemon juice
Lemon twist for garnish

I can’t wait to whip one of these up at home, maybe with a cherry garnish in lieu of the lemon twist. Next stop: Binny’s for some violet liqueur!

The Best Cocktail I’ve Ever Made

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Martinez cocktail

In my quest to find cocktails that utilize Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, I stumbled on a real gem: the Martinez. This subtly sweet drink gets its bite from a base of Old Tom gin, another one of my recent go-to liquors. If you’ve never had Old Tom, it’s a pre-Prohibition-era libation that’s what I assume gin would taste like in the 1920s. This old-school blend is lightly sweetened with sugar and aged in oak barrels—that’s what gives it it’s light-brown, bourbon-like color. At least that’s the case for the Ransom that I’ve been drinking. I can’t speak for many other brands, but Ransom’s Old Tom is great.

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But enough about good ol’ Tom. The Martinez is kind of like a Manhattan-on-steroids when you look at the components: gin that resembles bourbon, sweet vermouth, maraschino, and a dash of bitters. For cocktails like this, the kind of sweet vermouth you use can really make a difference. When I first started making cocktails, I bought the kind that you can get at nearly every grocery store: $6 Martini Rossi. Then someone suggested Dolin Vermouth de Chambéry Rouge, which runs about $13/750mL at Binny’s. I can’t pretend to be an expert on vermouth, but what I do know is that Dolin is a lot smoother and lighter than cheaper stuff. But what really makes the Martinez so delicious is the added cherry kick of the Luxardo Maraschino. You can use less if you’re not a huge fan of cherry, but if that’s the case then you are a monster this might not be the drink for you. I, on the other hand, love me some maraschino.

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The Martinez

Recipe adapted from Post Prohibition

  • 2 oz. Ransom Old Tom gin
  • 3/4 oz. Dolin Rouge sweet vermouth
  • 1/2 oz. Luxardo Maraschino
  • Dash of Angostura bitters
  • Lemon twist

Pour all liquid ingredients over ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a twist of lemon. If you’re feeling really crazy, you could swap out the lemon and garnish with a cherry. Warning: once you start making these, you will probably crave one around 7 p.m. every night. Enjoy! And sip slowly. (Or don’t. It’s your liver.)

Classic Cocktails: The Greyhound

Dani Malloy1 Comment

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It’s grapefruit season! Wahoo! “But isn’t it always grapefruit season?” The short answer is yes. The long answer is boring. Anywho, I had a couple of big, juicy Texas red grapefruits on my hands and decided to have one for a healthy snack and the other for a healthy cocktail. I’m a big fan of simple cocktails with a twist, so I went for a Greyhound made with Boodles gin and a splash of Luxardo Maraschino, my newfound libation obsession. It’s a light, refreshing drink that’ll help you shake these never-ending-winter blues.

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Greyhound

  • 2 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
  • 1.5 oz. gin
  • 0.5 oz. Luxardo Maraschino

Pour all the ingredients over ice and shake until chilled. I served mine in a stemless martini glass (because I was feeling fancy) and garnished with a section of fresh grapefruit. Happy citrus drinking!

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Cocktails and sewing machines all day