Fifty years ago today, on October 5, 1962, a handsome, tuxedo-clad Sean Connery introduced the movie-going world to a gentleman spy that every man wanted to be and every woman wanted to be with.  He had a nonchalance, confidence, and certain “je ne sais quoi” that, frankly, I have been trying to emulate for years. To commemorate 50 years of “Bond, James Bond,” from Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale, the Vesper – 2012 version.
~ 3 Gin
~ 1 Vodka
~ ½ Cocchi Americano
Shake and strain into chilled cocktail glass
Garnish: Lemon Twist
To best recreate the taste of the 1953 liquors, use a 94 proof English Gin – Tanquary is a good one and a 100 proof vodka made from grain – Stolichnaya works.  If Cocchi Americano is unavailable, substitute Lillet Blanc and a dash of quinine bitters.