Concierge Cocktails Wild Rose Vesper

Once a hater of Martinis, James Bond author Ian Fleming was finally seduced at London’s Dukes Bar, where they famously pre-mix and freeze their Martinis. The Casino Royale novel introduced the drink, named after the original Bond girl, Vesper Lynd. Ours is also engineered to be served directly from your freezer at -18°C. In the Casino Royale novel James Bond schools a bartender in exactly how to make his very own variation on a classic Martini; “In a deep champagne goblet. 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 slice of lemon peel.” Our updated rendition of this recently popularised cocktail breaks the mold in many ways adding many playful elements to the simplicity of the original. With the key characteristics of the original being gentle gin botanicals, golden warmth from the “off dry” Lillet and the heavy persuasion of lemon zest we first wished to cover these bases in a unique and updated fashion. Using our signature Double Juniper & Coriander Gin, we then began carefully blending it with an unaged Eau De Vigne (grape based vodka) to further soften and smooth out the top notes. We then macerate both with freshly grated lemon zests and just enough Lemon Grass to introduce a floral mid palate. We then add a splash of Lillet Blanc to dry and lift the botanicals. Once rebalanced, we inject new aromas with both wild roses and apricot brandy. To ensure the cocktail does not become overly sweet we’ve bedded down those floral notes with a little Bitter Bianco to linger on the tongue and to make you crave the next sip and for the story to begin all over again.We recommend drinking this cocktail as cold as possible. Keeping both the martini glass and the bottle in your freezer is ideal. To further invigorate the drink, try shaking the bottle vigorously after the first few cocktails have been drunk in order to aerate the cocktail and wake up the many flavours waiting to be discovered.