Over the years James Bond has enjoyed a tipple or two during his numerous high-jinx ventures across the globe chasing down the bad guys. With the latest outing for 007, SPECTRE, soon to dazzle the silver screen Elysium Magazine wanted to take a closer look at the drinks behind England’s famous super sleuth.
Now, just as Bond – played by Daniel Craig – is ably assisted by Q, Elysium Magazine felt it was only right we call upon our very own expert. Step forward Salvatore Calabrese of Salvatore’s Bar in London’s Playboy Club to talk us through Bond’s favoured drinks for the discerning gent. However, Salvatore does not stop there. He tells the discerning drinker how to make each drink in the comfort of his own home.
The Dry Martini Cocktail
Ingredients:
– 90ml Gin or Vodka (from the freezer)
– 2-3 dashes Martini Extra Dry Vermouth
Garnish: Lemon twist
Method:
- Get a Martini glass and spray water via an atomiser inside. Place glass in the freezer to chill for 20mins
- Place fresh vermouth in a small bottle (such as a small vinegar shaker, washed) to allow for droplets
- Using gin or vodka straight from the freezer, pour 90ml directly into the glass and add 2-3 drops of vermouth over the surface. Resist urge to be liberal here, less is more.
- Take the lemon twist and spritz the oils from the zest over the surface and run twist around the rim of the glass then dispense of lemon twist
- Serve – one green olive is optional
Salvatore explains to Elysium Magazine: “The ultimate James Bond drink, super dry and super slick, but not necessarily the typical James Bond Martini – as James Bond prefers his ‘shaken not stirred’. However this Martini has proven popular with previous Bonds such as Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan.”
The Vesper Cocktail
Ingredients:
– 60ml Gordon’s Gin
– 20ml Smirnoff Vodka
– 10ml Lillet Blanc
Garnish: Orange twist
Method:
- Combine all spirits in a shaker filled with ice and shake
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass
- Garnish with a twist of orange
Salvatore explains to Elysium Magazine: “A classic cocktail courtesy of Ian Fleming, immortalized in Casino Royale in 1953. The expertise of this cocktail is shown by the bitterness of the Kina Lillet, this interacts with the spirits to create a cocktail that is more than the sum of its parts. Kina Lillet is now no longer available, so I use Lillet Blanc but add a little tonic water for the quinine flavor that was found in the original.”
The Negroni
Ingredients:
– 30ml Gin
– 30ml Campari
– 30ml Sweet Vermouth
Garnish: Orange slice
Method:
- Combine spirits in an old-fashioned glass filled with ice and stir
- Garnish with a slice of orange placed in the drink
Salvatore explains to Elysium Magazine: “The Negroni is mentioned in the short and obscure story Risicio, whilst meeting with Kristatos, Bond orders a Negroni with Gordon’s . This classic is the perfect beverage to set the mood for action; it’s cool, stylish and elegant just like James Bond.”
The Double Agent Cocktail
Ingredients:
– 50ml Gordon’s Gin
– 20ml Smirnoff Vodka
– 10ml Lillet Blanc
– 1 dash of tonic water
– 2 fresh raspberries
Method:
- Shake all the ingredients, including raspberries, in a shaker filled with ice
- Double strain into a cocktail glass
Salvatore tells Elysium Magazine: “My own homage to James Bond, a sophisticated little number, dry and cool with a hint freshness.”
The Old Fashioned
Ingredients:
– 60ml Bourbon
– 2-3 dashes Angostura Bitters
– 1 dash club soda
– 1 white sugar cube
Garnish: Half a slice of orange and one cherry
Method:
- Using the back of a bar spoon, muddle the sugar cube with the dash of bitters and club soda in the bottom of an old-fashioned glass
- Add one third of the bourbon and two ice cubes then stir with a lifting motion
- Add more ice and another third of bourbon then stir again
- Add one more ice cube and the remaining bourbon
- Garnish with half a slice of orange and the cherry
Pro tip: never rush an Old Fashioned, it needs time to achieve the perfect result
Salvatore tells Elysium Magazine: “Yet another classic cocktail which 007 drank on occasion, often with a meal or before that occasional sleep of his, and it’s almost always a double. This cocktail has the virtue of being wonderfully simple, yet it cannot be rushed. Some bartenders claim it can be made in seconds, but I’m old school; I like to see it made carefully over several minutes, stirred to perfection. The recipe can be tweaked by substituting practically any spirit for the bourbon in the original recipe.”
So there the discerning drinker has it. Five of the best James Bond cocktails and how to make your very own. With all the above to choose from, the discerning gent has plenty to get shaken and stirred over.