In Casino Royale, Bond orders his Vesper with “three measures of Gordon’s,” but any London dry gin works. Named after double agent and temporary Bond love interest Vesper Lynd, the Vesper cocktail is essentially a dry martini variation that splits the base between gin and vodka and uses French aperitif Lillet instead of dry vermouth. Some historians believe the Vesper specs as described by Bond resemble a rum cocktail Fleming had enjoyed at his friend Ivar Bryce’s home in Jamaica Bryce reportedly received a copy of the book inscribed, “For Ivar, who mixed the first Vesper.” The drink was made famous by Bond author Ian Fleming in-and possibly even invented for-his 1953 book Casino Royale.
Martinis get all the glory, but the first cocktail James Bond ever ordered was a Vesper.
