An ice-cold Vesper can be the most refreshing cocktail at the end of the day: bright citrus, dry spirits, and a slight floral note from the aperitif. Or, if you're James Bond, it can be the elixir that eases you into your next nearly impossible feat. Either way, the Vesper is a classic cocktail that's about as classy (and potent) as it gets. In essence, it's 6-3-1 gin, vodka, Cocchi Americano Bianco plus a twist. There are many opinions about serving size, ratios, spirit types, Cocchi Americano Bianco vs. Lillet, and chilling/mixing technique (Shaken, not stirred?) but one thing we can all agree on is that Vespers, and martinis in general, are extremely nuanced and customizable. I'll leave it to you to go down that Reddit rabbit hole. Here's my take on the Vesper; it's spirit forward, and yes, I did shake it this time because it can dilute and chill this strong drink a little bit more efficiently (but don't over-do it because you don't want to bruise the gin!) The most important thing to keep in mind when making this drink is that YOU enjoy it and really, to be honest, that it's served very, VERY, cold.
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
• 2 oz gin (Here I used Caledonia Spirits' Barr Hill Gin from Vermont)
• 3/4 oz vodka (Used Tito's because let's keep with the US theme...!)
• 1/4 oz Cocchi Americano Bianco (No debate, a must)
• Lemon twist
Directions:
• Fill martini glass or coupe with ice and water to chill (or put in refrigerator/freezer for 10min) • Combine gin, vodka, and cocchi americano in cocktail shaker
• Add ice and shake for 15 seconds until outside of shaker starts to frost
• Strain into chilled martini glass
• Express oils from lemon peel over rim; twist and add to glass
• Drink while it's cold!