Post #187954 by thejab on Wed, Sep 21, 2005 12:19 PM

Nice recipe ArtFINK! As you proably know 007 liked Lillet in his martini as well.

This brings up a commonly held misconception that James Bond drank vodka martinis. From Ian Fleming's first 007 book Casino Royale"

"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?"

Sure it had some vodka in it (as is fitting for a cosmopolitan guy like Bond - a lot of London, a little USSR, and a bit of France) but it's mostly gin so it can't be called a vodka martini.

One more thing: I don't like the bitterness of thick lemon peels either so I just twist them over the drink and discard them. It is the lemon oil you want, and you can see them hit the drink if you look closely while twisting the peel. Also I rinse my olives so the salt doesn't affect the taste of the gin as much. If you want your olive to stay cold while rinsing just put some water with the ice in the shaker after straining, stir for a bit, and strain the ice-cold water into a glass or bowl for rinsing your olives.