Drink and drinking

James Bond drink

“When M. poured him three fingers from the frosted carafe Bond took a pinch of black pepper and dropped it on the surface of the vodka. The pepper slowly settled to the bottom of the glass leaving a few grains on the surface which Bond dabbed up with the tip of a finger. Then he tossed the cold liquor well to the back of his throat and put his glass, with the dregs of the pepper at the bottom, back on the table.”

By the time of Thunderball Bond’s daily intake of spirits is around half a bottle of spirits, hence his much needed stay in a health farm ordered by M, but far from the simple “Vodka Martini, shaken, not stirred” and Champagne of the films, James Bond likes a variety of drinks.

In no particular order, these include:

Cocktails such as the Vodka Martini, the Dry Martini, the Vesper, the Old-Fashioned, the Negroni and the Americano.

Russian vodka drunk neat and ice cold with caviar or smoked salmon. In Moscow he picked up the habit of dropping a pinch of black pepper on the surface of the drink that sinks to the bottom taking the impurities with it, but he got to like the taste.

Ten year old Cliquot, Dom Perignon, Krug, Pommery or Taittinger champagne served with Beluga caviar or scrambled eggs.

Beefeater or Gordon’s gin drunk with tonic and plenty of Angostura bitters plus the juice of a fresh lime if available.

Three fingers of Bourbon served in a tumbler half filled with ice, swilled around to cool it and then drunk in two long draughts, the glass refilled and then drunk slowly.

In Turkey Bond drinks Raki, which he finds identical with Greek Ouzo and Kavaklidere, “a rich course burgundy like any other Balkan wine”.

Brandy with soda with a couple of Phensic tablets as a hangover cure, or on the rocks after encountering the wrath of Count Lippe in Thunderball. Ocasionally Hennessy’s Three Star as a finale to a French dinner or brandy with ginger ale on long air trips.
In Casino Royale 007 orders a martini derived cocktail containing Kina Lillet that he later dubs the “Vesper” after the girl sent by headquarters to assist him. The drink later appeared in teh film version starring Daniel Craig, as well as the follow up, Quantum of Solace.

More on James Bond’s Drinks

Shaken Not Stirred – The Vodka Martini

I have been putting off writing about the Vodka Martini, the most prominent of Bond’s drinks and a cocktail that gave birth to the most famous bar instruction of all time: “Shaken, not stirred”.

The Vodka Martini is a variation on the original Dry Martini, which, in turn, is descended from the Manhattan. The Martini was originally made with sweet vermouth, but, around the turn of the last century, it became more popular to drink it with dry vermouth. The first reference to the Dry Martini can be found in How To Mix Fancy Drinks from 1903.

Read more...
Drinks at the Hermitage Bar from Casino Royale

Before the Vesper, there was the Americano; this is the first cocktail that James Bond ever orders. He does this at the bar of the Hermitage Hotel whilst he waits for Mathis and Vesper Lynd. When they arrive, Bond orders Mathis a Fine à l’eau and a Bacardi for Vesper.

Read more...
James Bond drinks: the Carte Blanche

One of the trademarks of the James Bond books, especially those written by Ian Fleming, is the attention to detail given to what 007 drives, wears, eats and drinks. Since the release of the 2006 film, Casino Royale, the Vesper has rocketed to popularity in bars across the world. So it comes as little surprise [...]

Read more...
The James Bond Pink Gin

This article is by guest writer David T Smith of Summer Fruit Cup. The Pink Gin is an old navy drink, a mix of gin and Angostura Bitters. Gin was the Naval Officer’s drink of choice and the bitters were thought to have medicinal properties. Traditionally, the drink is associated with Plymouth Gin, a spirit [...]

Read more...
The Old Fashioned

The Old Fashioned is a Grandfather of a drink and adheres to a very early definition of a cocktail; alcoholic spirit, bitters, water, and sugar.

Read more...