Lavender Vesper Martini

Shaken, not stirred.

The iconic James Bond Vesper martini comes from the original novel Casino Royal. According to the wiki, the drink will later be referred to as a “Vesper”, after the original Bond girl, Vesper Lynd. Seems only fitting that we would make this cocktail for the Monaco Grand Prix.

‘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?’

Like any martini, this is a very booze-forward cocktail. I suggest enjoying this with a light snack like caviar or oysters.

Infusing Vodka with Dried Lavender

Hot take – lavender might be my favourite flavour for cocktails. It pairs perfectly with other botanical type flavours like earl grey and vanilla, the delicate soft flavour brings me right back to the South of France. I haven’t been to Monaco but I have visited Provence, where lavender grows beautifully and is harvested for cooking, oils, and cosmetic products. The lavender I used in this recipe is prepared for kitchen safety. I love to throw a scoop of these lavender buds into a teabag and make a steamed Lavender Fog, essentially a sleeping pill in a mug.

To infuse the lavender, simply add the buds to vodka and let sit for 24-48 hours. Strain the lavender out of the vodka with cheesecloth to remove any micro-bits from future cocktails. You can also infuse lavender into gin to make a delightful Lavender Gin Sour. To add once last kick of lavender flavour I added a dash of Nickel 9 Lavender Citrus Bitters.

Lavender Vesper

James Bond's iconic cocktail with a lavender twist.

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Prep Time 1 day d

5 minutes mins

Total Time 1 day d 5 minutes mins

Course cocktails

Cuisine French

Servings 1 cocktail

Calories 175 kcal

Ingredients

  

Lavender Infused Vodka

• 2 tbsp dried lavender buds
• 1 cup vodka

Cocktail

• 1 oz. lavender infused vodka
• 2 oz. gin
• ½ oz. lillet
• 3-4 drops Nickel 9 Lavender Citrus Bitters
• fresh lavender stem (garnish)

Instructions

 

Lavender Infused Vodka

• In a mason jar, add lavender buds to vodka and let infused for 24-48 hours
• Strain the vodka through cheesecloth to remove any remnants of lavender.

Cocktail

• Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake vigorously until the shaker is ice cold.
• Double strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe or martini glass.
• Garnish with a stem of fresh lavender.

Keyword cocktails, lavender, martini, vesper