It’s official. James Bond is now a loyal Belvedere vodka man.
While dashing Agent 007 has previously sipped Smirnoff, Stolichnaya, and Absolute Red Label vodka in various Ian Fleming books and in Albert "Cubby" Broccoli-produced motion pictures, the spy who loved happy hour will opt for Belvedere Polish vodka this year in the new Sony Pictures film "Spectre," starring Daniel Craig.
Since the world’s most elegant spy will be depicted drinking vodka martinis made with his new favorite brand, Belvedere will celebrate his good taste with the release of two special limited-edition collectors’ bottles. The Belvedere 007 SPECTRE features the iconic gun-barrel 007 logo on the label and is available in four sizes, the largest of which features a cool Bond-worthy gadget: a waterproof 8-hour LED light on the bottom which illuminates the bottle with a blue glow. Also featuring illuminating technology is the metallic, 1.75 liters Belvedere Silver Saber bottle. Pick your poison, because the contents of either bottle can be used to make the new official Bond martini.
Belvedere 007
50 ml Belvedere Vodka (1.7 oz.)
Dash of dry vermouth (Tempus Fugit Alessio Extra Dry is a good choice)
Shaken, not stirred
Garnish with a lemon twist
Literary purists will also enjoy drinking the cocktail that James Bond invented in Ian Fleming’s 1953 novel “Casino Royale,” Chapter 7:
"A dry martini," [Bond] 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?"
"Certainly, monsieur." The barman seemed pleased with the idea.
"Gosh, that's certainly a drink," said Leiter.
Bond laughed. "When I'm…er…concentrating," he explained, "I never have more than one drink before dinner. But I do like that one to be large and very strong and very cold and very well-made. I hate small portions of anything, particularly when they taste bad. This drink's my own invention. I'm going to patent it when I can think of a good name."
Soon thereafter he named the drink “Vesper” following an encounter with sexy Bond girl Vesper Lynd "because once you have tasted it, you won't drink anything else."
Vesper
1 ½ oz. gin (Gordon's, Bombay Sapphire, or Tanqueray for a traditional British flavor profile)
½ oz. Belvedere vodka
¼ oz. Lillet Blonde (the closest proximity to Kina Lillet, which is no longer made)
Garnish with lemon peel
Serve in a chilled Champagne coupe
Of course, Bond didn’t just drink martinis. In “Skyfall” he drank Courvoisier VSOP cognac and Macallan whisky, and still other times preferred Talisker, Suntory, Jack Daniels, and Mount Gay Rum. But consistently he proved to be a bubbly man. Champagne Bollinger has been featured in almost every Bond movie since “Live And Let Die” and “Spectre” will be no different. To celebrate the 24th James Bond adventure, Champagne Bollinger is launching its SPECTRE Limited Edition bottle ($229), inspired by the dapper sipper. It contains a unique Bollinger cuvee, a 2009 vintage encased in a chill box designed by Carré Basset, which keeps the bottle chilled for two hours.
