Drink – The Vesper

The Hub and I LOVE us some James Bond. Like MAD love.
We love all things 007 – and at least twice a year we are sucked into a viewing marathon (I know I know, the kids now days call it a “binge.” Po-tay-to, Po-tah-to.) The early movies are our favorites, The Mr’s love for Goldfinger is matched only by my adoration for Thunderball, and the fastest way to get kicked out of The Casa would be to turn off Dr No.
We have our favorites from the newer ones as well, and I have no complaints about Daniel Craig’s current brooding, shadowy incarnation. Seriously ladies… I…. (oh, lost my train of thought there for a second… Bond Blackouts – the struggle is real.) With Specter topping the box office this week, we are back in Bond frenzy mode around here.
I am also a big lover Ian Flemming’s novels – which brings me to The Vesper.
In Flemming’s novel Casino Royale, our favorite spy requested “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?”
Yep James, we got it. Now we want to try it.
(Kina Lillet is no more, but Lillet Blanc seems to be the accepted substitute.)
WHAT YOU NEED:

3 oz Vodka
1 oz Gin
.5 oz Lillet Blanc
Lemon

WHAT YOU DO:
Chill your glass!!! While you are mixing all this, fill your martini glass with ice water so it will be nice and cold for your drink.

Add the liquids to a shaker filled with ice, and shake until icy cold, to stay truest to what 007 himself ordered.

HOWEVER, most connoisseurs agree that stirring this instead of shaking will result in less dilution, blah blah blah –SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED because that’s what James ALWAYS says.

Empty the chilly water out of your martini glass (unless you have an old school champagne goblet – that is actually what he requests in the book,) use a knife or a zester to get a good slice of lemon peel off the fruit, rub the peel around the glass rim, give it a,good squeeze and then drop it in.

Strain that elixir into the prepared glass, lean mysteriously on the edge of your kitchen island, and drink.
Insert your own witty comment and give a wink to the hottie across the room. (Or the dog… work with what you’ve got.)