The martini, perfected
1 oz Purity Vodka 51 Connoisseur Reserve Organic
3 oz Purity Gin 34 Nordic London Dry Organic
½ oz Lillet Blanc
Vesper Martini
Ian Fleming created the Vesper on the page, not behind a bar. In Casino Royale (1953), James Bond orders gin, vodka and Kina Lillet, shaken over ice, and names the drink after Vesper Lynd. Kina Lillet is no longer made. Lillet Blanc has become the classic stand-in.
The drink itself hasn’t changed. Three ingredients, ice and a twist of lemon. Nowhere to hide, which is why what you pour matters. Vodka 51 Connoisseur Reserve brings a soft, rounded texture and a long, quiet finish, the result of approximately 20 hours of extended copper contact. Gin 34 Nordic London Dry adds juniper and fresh herbs without a single sharp edge.
Take the first sip slowly. The smile usually arrives before the second.
Start with a chilled martini glass. Fill it with ice and water, or place it in the freezer for ten minutes while you prepare everything else.
Add Gin 34 Nordic London Dry, Vodka 51 Connoisseur Reserve and Lillet Blanc to a mixing glass. Fill it two-thirds with fresh, hard ice and stir steadily for 20 to 30 seconds, until the outside of the glass feels ice-cold and the drink has softened with a little dilution.
Empty the chilled martini glass and strain the Vesper into it.
Cut a wide strip of lemon peel, hold it skin-side down over the glass and give it a gentle twist so the oils mist across the surface. Run the peel around the rim, drop it in and serve straight away, while it is at its coldest.
Keep both bottles in the freezer and chill the glass until it frosts. Cold is half of a great Vesper. When the spirits start ice-cold, you need less stirring and less dilution, so the texture stays rich and silky instead of thin. And twist the lemon over the glass rather than squeezing it into the drink: you want the bright aroma of the oils, not the sharpness of the juice.
