Vesper (cocktail)
The Vesper is a cocktail of gin, vodka, and Kina Lillet. It was created by Ian Fleming, but he attributed James Bond as the creator in his first novel Casino Royale, and Bond named it for his love interest in the story, Vesper Lynd. In the 2006 movie adaptation, Vesper asked if he named it after her "because of the bitter aftertaste" but Bond told her that he named it for her, "because once you have tasted it, you won't drink anything else." Kina Lillet contains quinine, which is bitter.
The recipe for the Vesper is:
- 3 oz Gordon's Gin
- 1 oz Vodka
- 1/2 oz Kina Lillet
- Shake until ice cold. Serve in a cocktail glass, garnished with a thin slice of lemon.
Note: Kina Lillet is no longer available and Lillet Blanc which has replaced it is manufactured to a different recipe with less quinine and hence less bitter.