A look back at 007`s drinking habits and the classic Vesper

With the new 007 film Casino Royale taking James Bond back to his roots, it seems a good time to set the record straight on 007 and his favourite tipples - reports The Age.

In Ian Fleming's first Bond book we meet agent 007 of MI6 and his drinking habits, which are from an era well before the responsible service of alcohol and warnings about operating heavy machinery.

Contrary to popular opinion, Bond's signature drink did not start out as a shaken vodka martini but rather as his own variation on the cocktail. The story goes that Fleming enlisted the help of London bartender Gilberto Preti to make a drink especially for his protagonist.

In the book Bond explains to the casino bartender exactly how he likes his dry martini. "In a deep champagne goblet," he says. "Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large slice of lemon peel. Got it?"

Bond praises the bartender's effort but says it would be better with a grain-based vodka rather than one made from potatoes. Bond confides in the CIA man, Felix Leiter: "This drink's my own invention. I'm going to patent it when I can think of a good name." Later, when Bond meets the seductress Vesper Lynd, he asks if he can name it after her.

But that's not the only Bond drink in Casino Royale. He kicks things off with an americano (Campari and Cinzano sweet vermouth) at the Hermitage Hotel. After a bomb explosion, he drinks his first straight whisky in his hotel room.

On a dinner date with Vesper at the Hotel Splendide, Bond orders a carafe of chilled vodka and a bottle of Taittinger Brut Blanc de Blanc 1943, "probably the finest champagne in the world".

During the baccarat showdown with the evil LeChiffre, Bond drinks half a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne. Later, after defeating LeChiffre, he shares a bottle of champagne with his CIA friend in the casino's bar.

All in all, Bond enjoys about 13 drinks and four bottles of champagne through the book. He also chain smokes and at one point lights his 70th cigarette of the day.

One can only assume that the modern Bond will be more health-conscious. But Smirnoff vodka is back on duty as the spirit in his famed dry martini: "Vodka, very cold . . . very large . . . shaken, not stirred."

The Smirnoff and Bond link goes back to 1962's Dr No, the sixth book but the first movie, when the villain hands Sean Connery a "martini, shaken not stirred" made with Smirnoff. This moment helped change the way martini drinkers made their cocktails, shifting from the longstanding gin to a vodka-based version.

Most bartenders worth their salt deplore the shaking of a martini, whether it's made with gin or vodka.

Bond's Vesper

The original recipe called for Kina Lillet, a rather bitter wine-based aperitif containing quinine. In 1985 the quinine content was reduced and the name changed. Today, two versions, Lillet Blanc and Lillet Rouge, are produced in the French town of Podensac.

INGREDIENTS
90ml gin
30ml vodka
15ml Lillet Blanc

METHOD

Shake ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a slice of lemon peel.

Thanks to `Mav` for the alert.

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