Name: Reversed Vesper and Tonic 'Martini'
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 30 ml Gin; 30 ml Vodka; 15 ml Blanc quinquina/kina; 15 ml Aromatized wine; 5 ml Becherovka liqueur; 2.5 ml Grenadine syrup; 2.5 ml Sugar syrup 'rich' (2:1); 15 ml Tonic water

Ingredients

1 fl oz

Hayman's London Dry Gin

1 fl oz

Ketel One Vodka

1/2 fl oz

Blanc quinquina/kina (e.g. Mattei Cap Corse, Bonal, Kina L'Aéro)

1/2 fl oz

Aromatized wine (e.g. Lillet Blanc)

1/6 fl oz

Becherovka liqueur

1/12 fl oz

Monin Grenadine Syrup

1/12 fl oz

Sugar syrup 'rich' (2 sugar to 1 water) 65.0°Brix

1/2 fl oz

Thomas Henry Tonic Water

How to make

Glassware

Prepare

Select and pre-chill a MARTINI GLASS.

Prepare garnish of lemon zest twist.

Method

SHAKE first 7 ingredients with ice.

FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

TOP with tonic water.

Garnish

EXPRESS lemon zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of Reversed Vesper & Tonic 'Martini' contains 212 calories

Alcohol content:

1.8 standard drinks
20.2% alc./vol. (40.39° proof)
24.9 grams of pure alcohol

History

Created in 2008 by yours truly at the Cabinet Room, London, England.

James Bond named his favourite style of Martini (Vesper) after the beautiful Russian agent Vesper Lynd. This version is 'Reversed' due to the dramatically increased ratio of aromatised wines. Fittingly, my cocktail mixes East and West European ingredients with the introduction of Becherovka. And where there is Becherovka, there should be tonic water (see Be-ton).

I originally made this with 5ml of homemade pomegranate syrup to add much-needed sweetness (to counter kina bitterness) as a fitting blood-like syrup. Swapping to commercial grenadine added too much colour and flavour; hence, now equal parts sugar and grenadine syrup.

Comments & Discussion

Please log in to make a comment

Susie Bright Premium Member 1y

Okay, don’t hate me, but having lost my Becherovka in a senseless “accident de cabinet,” I took a discerning eye to my remaining liqueurs and decided to try Kümmel instead. I think it is SUBLIME. Everything else, as described.

Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member 1y

I look forward to trying. Perhaps turned out to be a happy accident! Out of interest, what brand of kummel did you use?

Susie Bright Premium Member 1y

It is “Helbing” Kümmel from the Heinrich Helbing distillery in Hamburg. I hope you will as happy as I was. I am a fan of the caraway seed, and I have used in cooking as well as beverages. Simon, thank you for asking! You’re a constant inspiration here.

Simon Difford Continue thread (1 reply)

John CARR Premium Member 1y

Wow. Beautiful layering of flavours. Initially sweet and fruity, quickly opening up to dry herbal qualities and wonderful quinine bitterness on the tongue. Very good indeed.

james I 2y

Love this drink. However sometimes I up the becherovka to 10ml, use 5ml real grenadine and 5ml sugar syrup. Then I make into a long drink by adding one large ice ball and top off with tonic using a Collins glass. My girlfriend suggested that it is now a Bonded Vesper and Tonic.