CHEERS MR BOND

Shaken or stirred? Twist or no? How to make 007’s preferred tipple, the perfect martini.

Roger Moore famously enjoyed a dry gin martini, shaken, until he could no longer drink them due to diabetes, while Daniel Craig maintains he prefers beer; but a vodka martini – shaken, not stirred – has long been James Bond’s tipple of choice. In Fleming’s 1954 novel, Live And Let Die, 007 sups a six parts vodka, one part vermouth cocktail and discusses his preference for shaken in Dr. No (1958). Though Connery drank one in Bond’s first cinematic outing in 1962 he didn’t utter the famous line until Goldfinger in 1964 – and successive Bond’s have been ordering martinis (‘dirty’ and ‘Vespers’ included) ever since.

Fleming may have got his inspiration for Bond’s bevvie from Dukes Hotel bar in London, a St James cocktail lounge he visited regularly, where martinis are served tableside from a 1908 rosewood drinks trolley. Fancy toasting Daniel Craig’s departure from the 007 DJ? We do, so we asked Dukes’ bar manager, Alessandro Palazzi, to give us tips on knowing the lingo and making the perfect martini.

Dry or wet?

“Originally, a traditional martini was only done one way (stirred with a twist of lemon). Today, people are much more knowledgeable and curious, and there are many ways to make a martini. We are very open-minded at Dukes Bar and serve them in many ways. A dry martini has a small amount of vermouth, compared to a wet martini that has more vermouth (like the olden days).”

Vodka vs gin?

“A traditional martini has gin, but nowadays you can add vodka. It’s really up to your preference.”

Shaken vs stirred?

“I personally prefer a stirred martini – when you shake a martini it’s lighter and easier to drink for those who may not be regular martini drinkers. Olive, twist [a slice of lemon peel] or Gibson [with a pickled onion]? I prefer twist.”

How to?

“There is no secret to the perfect martini – it’s about the perfect execution. A martini has three ingredients; vermouth, gin or vodka, and a twist of lemon or an olive – and you need to get it right. At Dukes we use a dry white vermouth from Sacred Spirits and only use pure spirits in our martinis. The perfect gin, in my opinion, is London Dry Gin. If using vodka, Polish vodka is my preference – there’s a more vanilla and nutty flavour in Polish vodka. For infusions, we use Russian vodka. You have to have a very cold glass and a very cold spirit – we freeze our glasses and spirits – and organic fruit. We always serve our martinis in frozen glasses, so as time passes the drink warms up and the aromas open up. My team and I always use organic, unwaxed lemons from the Amalfi Coast and twist the peel over the glass to release the essential oils.

“The measurements for the ‘perfect martini’ depend on the style of martini you are creating. At Dukes Bar, we add about 2ml of dry vermouth and 125ml of frozen gin or vodka.”

Snacks?

“You need something natural that doesn’t overpower the taste of the martini. Sicilian olives (natural flavour and meaty) and a selection of non-spiced nuts are perfect.” Facebook @dukesbarlondon Twitter @dukesbarlondon Instagram @dukesbarlondon