James Bond's original Vesper has a problem. The Kina Lillet he specified in Casino Royale was reformulated decades ago, losing the bitter quinine punch that made the drink so compelling. This version fixes that with two dashes of absinthe, bringing back that herbal, slightly medicinal edge without turning your martini into a pastis.
The result is strikingly clean and dangerously strong. Tanqueray's juniper cuts through the vodka's softness while Lillet Blanc adds honeyed, floral notes that keep things from getting too austere. That whisper of absinthe ties everything together with an anise-tinged complexity that lingers long after the sip. It's bone-dry, crystal clear, and absolutely not for amateurs.
This is a drink for when you want to feel like the most interesting person in the room, or at least the most discerning. Stir one up before dinner, skip the olive if you're feeling purist, and enjoy what 007 was actually going for all those years ago.
Pop Culture
Thursday, January 29, 2026
The Vesper Royale
Bond's Vesper, Perfected for the Modern Bar
martini·gin
The Vesper Royale
Strong·coupe or Nick & Nora
spirit-forwardherbalbitter
Ingredients
- 2 ozpremium gin (Tanqueray or Hendrick's)
- 0.75 ozvodka
- 0.5 ozLillet Blanc
- 2 dashesabsinthe
Method
- 1.Add all ingredients to a mixing glass filled with ice
- 2.Stir for 30-40 seconds until well-chilled and properly diluted
- 3.Strain into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass
- 4.Express a lemon peel over the drink and discard or place on rim
GarnishLemon peel, optionally with a Castelvetrano olive
Note: A refined evolution of Bond's famous Vesper, using modern Lillet Blanc with absinthe to recreate the quinine bitterness of the original Kina Lillet. The absinthe adds sophisticated herbal complexity without overwhelming the botanical gin character. Stirred for proper clarity and silky texture.
#pop-culture#classic-films#gin#cocktail#recipe#craft-cocktail#winter
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