Top 5 James Bond Cocktails Everyone Should Try!

In honor of The Artist’s love and admiration of anything James Bond related, especially first editions of Ian Fleming’s books, here are some really fun Festive Friday ideas for you!

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James Bond is well known for his love of a cocktail, and although the most famous of all is the Vodka Martini – shaken not stirred – there are actually lots of different drinks that Bond is fond of. All of them except one (the Vesper Martini) are classic cocktails which you should be able to order in most bars. Here are the top 5 James Bond cocktails that you should try if you want to experience the Bond life yourself (minus all the running around and shooting people).

1. Vodka Martini

This is the most famous of all Bond’s drinks, and is drunk by him over 20 times in the movies, outnumbered only by Champagne. Bond actually drinks a wide variety of Martinis, including 19 Gin Martinis, but the Vodka Martini appears to be his favourite. Not only is this one of the drinks most commonly consumed by Bond, it is also the drink behind the classic line “shaken not stirred”.

There are lots of alternatives when making Martinis, but the original Martini recipe is as follows:

• Pour 2 ½ oz of gin (or in this case vodka), ½ oz of dry vermouth and optional Angostura or orange bitters into an ice cube-filled mixing glass.
• Stir (or shake until icy cold to make it an authentic Bond drink).
• Strain mixture into a cocktail glass.
• Add a lemon twist or olive to garnish.

2. Scotch and Soda

This is a drink which is not actually mentioned in the movies, but is a common choice in the books, in which Bond orders the drink a total of 21 times. Although he is also often known to be drinking straight Scotch, this is a common drink for Bond to have in hand, and is quick and easy to make, ideal for a busy spy.

All you need to do to make this drink is pour 2 oz of Scotch into a highball glass with ice, and then top it up with soda.

3. Vesper Martini

This drink was ordered by Bond in both the book and movie versions of Casino Royale, and was named after the lovely Vesper, the Bond girl of the story. This is the only time we see him order this drink, but it’s known as the true Bond Martini, as he invented it himself. James describes the recipe in both versions, but here’s a breakdown of it so you can do it at home.

• Mix together three parts Gordon’s Gin with one part vodka and half a measure of Kina Lillet (now just called Lillet).
• Strain mixture into a cocktail glass
• Garnish with a long thin piece of lemon peel.

4. Americano

This was the first drink ordered by bond in Casino Royale, and is the first hint we get at his refined taste in drinks. In From a View to Kill, we find out that he sees this kind of drink as better suited to dining in an outdoor café than a harder cocktail. Outside of the James Bond stories, this drink was first served in Garspare Campari’s bar in Milan in the 1860’s, and is truly a classic cocktail. Here’s how to make one yourself.

• Pour 1 oz of Campari and 1 oz of sweet vermouth into an old fashioned glass filled with ice cubes.
• Top it up with soda.
• Garnish with an orange slice or lemon twist.

5. Stinger

The Stinger stars in two of Fleming’s James Bond novels, however the drink fails to make an appearance in the movies. This is probably because it’s more of a ‘pretty’ drink than a ‘manly’ drink, and doesn’t really go with Bond’s usual taste; nevertheless, it features in both the Diamonds Are Forever novel when he drinks it with Tiffany, and the Thunderball novel when he is drinking with Felix Leiter and pairs it up with a coffee. A stinger is a drink that everyone should try at least once, and here’s what you need to do to make one.

• Put crushed ice into an old-fashioned glass.
• Pour in 1 ¾ oz of brandy and ¾ oz of white crème de menthe.
• Stir the drink well. (Alternatively, you can shake the ingredients with ice cubes and strain them into a cocktail glass.)

So there you have it. There are plenty of other James Bond cocktails and drinks to try out, but these ones are possibly the most interesting, and although you may have tried a couple before, the chances are there’s something on this list you haven’t tried. If you don’t have the means to make these cocktails yourself, try ordering them next time you’re at a bar.. Throw in the old “shaken not stirred” line and you’ll be living it up like the spy himself, just without the danger or the responsibility of stopping an evil villain.

About the Author:

This has been brought to you by the team at Late Night London. Visit Late Night London for more information on bars and nightclubs in London.

Image credits:

1.http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardmoross/1623254873/sizes/m/in/photostream/

2.http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartwebster/4267464010/sizes/m/in/photostream/

3.http://www.flickr.com/photos/conradpeter/7530387588/sizes/m/in/photostream/

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