How does James Bond like his martini? My recollection is that his preference is a vodka martini, shaken not stirred. But how much of that recollection is from the books, from the films, or from the popular conceptions surrounding both? I’ve recently reread Casino Royale, the first James Bond book. I’ll quote his first order of a martini, and it leaves little room for doubt.
‘A dry martini,’ he said. ‘One. In a deep champagne goblet.’ ‘Oui, monsieur.’ ‘Just a moment. 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 thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?’
So I was right about shaken, but only a quarter right about vodka. He preferred three measures of gin to one of vodka. I always thought that a martini was a measure of gin and a measure and a half of dry vermouth. What the heck is Kina Lillet? Well the kina is quinine, and the lillet is a blend of wine and fruit liqueurs.
On Thursday I’ll be playing golf at Huntercombe Golf Club again. It’s one of my favourite courses and Ian Fleming was a member. In the books, James Bond is a member of two golf clubs, Huntercombe and Sunningdale. I think Bond only played golf once in either the books or the films. That was in Goldfinger. In the book the match takes place at Royal St. George’s, Sandwich. Ian Fleming was also a member there. In the film it was played at Stoke Poges. I certainly will not have one of Bond’s martinis after my round, or I’ll be too shaken to drive home.
I’m now 49,000 words into writing The Favourite Murder, the fifth book of the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures. Wine features quite a bit and many of the characters are both shaken and stirred, but not by cocktails. I think of Sir Anthony Standen as England’s 001.
For the illustration to this post I asked ChatGBT to paint James Bond ordering a dry martini. Well he looks like he’s drinking one, but what’s going on with his right hand? That seems to be shaken or stirred.