LONDON (WTHR) - James Bond: the man men aspire to be, and the one women want to be with. The British MI6 agent serves Queen and country and saves the world in style.
The Aston Martin and tuxedo are all iconic aspects of Ian Fleming's character, but perhaps it's the martini and that iconic phrase: "shaken, not stirred" that's the epitome of Bond.
So where better to try a Bond cocktail than the bar Mr. Fleming used to frequent, where secret meetings used to be held. The quaint bar is now the site of legend amongst Bond fanatics, like myself: The Dukes London Hotel Bar.
It's where legendary bartender Allesandro Pallazi crafts the Bond cocktails.
Bond's signature cocktail, the Vesper - named by Bond himself in Ian Fleming's first book, "Casino Royale," for Vesper Lynd, a double agent - was explained by Bond (also in "Casino Royale") as "A dry martini. Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of kina lillet -- shake it over ice and add a thin slice of lemon peel."
At the time "Casino Royale" was written in 1953, it was almost unheard of to mix gin and vodka -- much less shake it. But Bond does things his own way.
As does Pallazi, who's put a twist on arguably the most famous martini ever.
There's a reason many consider Pallazi's at Dukes London to be the best in the world. He uses the best ingredients.
"The first step is the temperature," Pallazi said. "It's a cocktail that has to be served very, very cold -- because it's all alcohol."
Pallazi is so passionate - he's Italian after all - he worked with a friend to make a secret ingredient for the martini.
"We create an English vermouth in honor of Mr. Fleming...and this, he only does for me at Dukes...but I follow his measurement, half measure. And then I use a Polish vodka."
He also measures by hand.
"Fleming's idea is what Bond does, everyone will follow....You would not dare to ask for a vodka martini....Thanks to the phrase, and thanks to Fleming, he made the martini accessible to everybody."
He finishes with No. 3 London dry gin - not Gordon's like the original recipe calls for. He says that's for two reason: first, Gordon's wasn't the gin that was used at the time Bond was written to live in, and the the alcohol content isn't high enough.
The final touch also deviates from the original: he uses an orange instead of a lemon.
If you want to make your own at home, it'll be tough to find all of the ingredients. Since they're made in the U.K. and Poland, many American liquor stores don't carry them. You'll have to check your local store to see if they're in stock.
If not, Allesandro says to just use your favorite vodka and gin, and it will still be perfect for the secret agent in your life.