Jesper Lind (Death & Co. Recipe)

Vesper Lind is James Bond's beau. This is the woman for whom he never married. And we all have had a Vesper or a 007 Martinii. This is different. In fact if I was to suggest a  Bond Enemy drink, this might be it. 

There is a lot of richness in the nose: vanilla and orange. When you sip it is full of raisin from the sherry and herbal notes from the gin and aquavit. And that last bit is where the name comes from: a common masculine name in Norway, Jesper. All of which hints at the addition of aquavit as a botanical ingredient. This is the dude drink to match Bond's woman. And I'm down with that. It's richer and more herbaceous. There's no vodka to tame it down. The flavor is full and ready. 

What it lacks is garnish, if that is even necessary. At a cool bar like Death & Co., I'd be surprised if that was even necessary. And truthfully, you don't need lemon oil from the twist or a cherry to throw off the perfection of the individual ingredients. 

• 1 1/2oz. dry gin (homemade bathtub used)
• 3/4 oz. Lustau East India Solera Sherry
• 1/2 oz. Linie aquavit (homemade used)
• 1 tsp vanilla syrup 
• 1 dash orange bitters

Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a coupe glass. 

The Golden Gun

Sounding a lot like a James Bond film, this exotic cocktail from Martin Cate's Smuggler's Cove cookbook is an easy way to go Tiki with just a handful of ingredients. The key, of course, is good rum and fresh ingredients. Demerara syrup makes the sweet flavor taste more earthy and exotic. Apricot liqueur ups the fruitness, and the rum is all important.

• 3/4 oz. lime juice
• 1/2 oz. grapefruit juice
• 1/2 oz. demerara simple syrup
• 1/2 oz. apricot liqueur (Jaquin's used)
• 1 oz. blended aged rum (Pusser's Navy Rum used)
• 1 oz. blended lightly aged rum (Flor de Cana extra seco used)
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Fill a Collins or highball glass with cracked or cubed ice. Add all the ingredients to the cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into the Collins glass. Garnish with your choice of fruits, stir sticks, and herbs. (I chose a peach slice as an appropriate pairing with apricot liqueur.)

James Bond Martini (AKA Vesper, AKA 007 Martini)

In a way this is a repeat post. I've already posted the Vesper with gin, vodka and Lillet blanc. This is the same drink with Tanqueray 10 gin and Ketel One vodka. I had this drink at The Gin Joint in Woodley Park. It is the downstairs bar of the New Heights Restaurant, which is totally devoted to the wondrous variety of gin out there now. They have as many as 150 gins at one time, and the selection rotates, it seems. 

This Vesper was made by bartender Ravi Kukadi, who has a deep love of gin. He changed the recipe a little to include Cocci sweet vermouth. I appreciated the change-up.

Lillet blanc is a sweet Bordeaux wine that is flavored with bitter green oranges from North Africa. It plays well with dry gins like Tanqueray and keeps the drink looking clear. Drinkers nowadays want more richness and flavor, and a sweet vermouth does that in spades if it is Italian. 

• 2 oz. gin 
• 1 oz. vodka
• 1/2 oz. Lillet blanc
• lemon twist

Combine all ingredients except lemon twist in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Twist lemon peel over the drink and drop it in. 

Vesper

I love what Lillet Blanc does to a Martini--and so does James Bond. Try it and you'll appreciate Felix reaction to Bond's ordering the drink in Casino Royal: "That sounds good. I'll have one of those."

• 2 oz. gin (Gordon's)
• 1 oz. vodka (Gordon's)
• 1/2 oz. Lillet Blanc
• lemon twist

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake, don't stir, and pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with twist.