The Vesper - Shaken, not stirred

THIS is the now-famous cocktail attributed to James Bond, in Ian Fleming's novel, "Casino Royale." Bond orders a vodka martini, but instructs the bartender to make it a new way, using: Three measures of Gordon's, one measure of vodka and half a measure of Kina Lillet . . . Shaken, not stirred, and garnished with a generous peel of lemon.

For one reason or another, the phrase "shaken, not stirred" has migrated to apply to any vodka martini associated with Fleming's character, James Bond. Not so. Bond was quite the aficionado of the martini

and expected his to be stirred. But The Vesper was not just ANY martini, it was an homage to the spy Vesper Lynd (a pun on "West Berlin").

History aside, this is the recipe for a Vesper cocktail (Vesper martini). The original recipe in Casino Royale used Kina Lillet, which contained quinine, adding a touch of bitterness. The recipe below includes a dash of orange bitters, which will suffice.

The Vesper

2 oz Gordon's Dry Gin

2/3 oz Vodka

1/3 oz Lillet (a French aperitif)

Dash of Fee's Orange Bitters (to restore the bitterness originally in Kina Lillet)

Place the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with cracked ice. Shake very

vigorously, until ice cold. Strain into a champagne coupe or similar cocktail glass. Garnish with a "large, thin slice of lemon peel."

An additional recommendation might be to don a tuxedo and formal wear to really enjoy this cocktail . . .

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Cinema recommendation: What else? Casino Royale, in any of its iterations!

The Tomato Cocktail - Red and Refreshing

The origins of this non-alcoholic cocktail are uncertain, but it is safe to say that it became popularized, when tinned (canned) tomato juice was made widely available. Some cocktail sources suggest that this drink was originally made from freshly squeezed tomatoes, but as anyone who has ever tried to juice a fresh tomato knows, the result is very watery, seedy and has little body or flavor. In making tinned tomato juice, the tomato is cooked down, to evaporate the water, intensifying the red color and the natural flavor, as well as thickening the juice. The natural consequence of the Tomato Cocktail, as you'll see from the recipe below, became the Bucket of Blood, the Bloody Mary, and the Red Snapper. Unlike the Virgin Mary Cocktail, this is not just a Bloody Mary without the ingredients. It's a cocktail that brings out natural tomato flavor, without overwhelming it with anything intense. In this picture, the Tomato Cocktail is being enjoyed with a piece of Taleggio, an Italian, washed-rind, ripened cheese.

The Tomato Cocktail

Into a mixing glass, place

some ice

3 oz Tinned/bottled tomato juice

1 tsp Freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

Grinding of black pepper.

Stir well, until the ingredients are well mixed and chilled, then strain into a cocktail (martini) glass. I suggest placing a thin slice of lemon or lime right on top, or some julienne of cucumber, if you prefer.

Resist the temptation to "kick it up a notch" (an expression I truly dislike), by adding Tabasco, cayenne, or even a soupcon (teeny bit) of salt. If you desire a more fully flavored Tomato Cocktail, use V8 juice, instead of tomato.

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Cinema Recommendation:

I'm not sure quite why, but I think I'd recommend this one:

Happenstance (2000). Audrey Tautou, Eric Savin. Directed by Laurent Firode. This comedy, starring France's favorite sweetheart, Audrey Tautou, is as cute as the Tomato Cocktail. Enjoy the fun and the, yes, happenstance(s) throughout this film, and enjoy it with a freshly made, chilled Tomato Cocktail at your side.

The Bloody Mary: Bloody Wonderful!!

Despite its gruesome name, the Bloody Mary remains one of the foundations of Cocktail Hour, everywhere. A prototype of the Bloody Mary was created by bartender Fernand "Pete" Petiot, at Harry's Bar in Paris, around 1921. Originally dubbed a "Bucket of Blood" by one of the bar's patrons, it later became the Bloody Mary (Vintage Cocktails. Susan Waggoner and Robert Markel. (c) 1999.)

Vodka was rarely mentioned in American bartenders' guides written before World War II, because gin was, by far, the easiest spirits to fabricate in the US. But the vodka tradition was brought to Western Europe by Russians exiled by the revolution in 1917, several years before the creation of the original Bucket of Blood (and the Bloody Mary).

After Prohibition, the Bloody Mary's creator came to the US, and later joined the King Cole Bar at New York's St. Regis Hotel. Jacob Astor (the owner of the St. Regis) loved Petiot's creation, but he didn't like the name and asked that Petiot call it a "Red Snapper" (The Bloody Mary. Christopher B. O'Hara. (c) 1999.) and make it with gin. So the Red Snapper became the Bloody standard here in the US, because vodka didn't arrive here, until the 1930's, when Smirnoff began to dominate the US spirits market, and the Bloody Mary once again became a vodka cocktail (see Vintage Cocktails), while the Red Snapper remained true to its genealogy and was still made with gin. The Red Snapper is my "Bloody" of choice.

If you enjoy a good Bloody Mary, you're in good company. Ernest Hemingway - a spokesperson for the "lost generation" of American expatriates in Paris, after WWI also was a devotee of the Bloody! Hemingway felt that Bloodies should be made by the pitcherful, because "any smaller amount is worthless."

Here's how to make a foolproof Bloody Mary:

3 oz Tomato juice

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 Jigger vodka

1-2 Dashes of Worcestershire sauce

Black pepper, to taste

Add the tomato and lemon juice over ice, in a highball glass. Add vodka and pepper and stir. The original Bloody Mary was served with a swizzle stick, not the stalk of celery that became the standard in the 1960's, and note that the original Bloody uses black pepper, rather than the Tabasco or cayenne we have gotten used to. Feel free to add some celery salt, if desired.

To make a Red Snapper, just substitute gin, for the vodka.

Other Variations:

Bloody Caesar: Use half tomato juice and half clam juice, instead of all tomato.

Bloody Bull: Add 2 oz low sodium beef broth.

Bloody Swedish Blonde: Use Akavit, instead of vodka.

Virgin Mary: Leave out the alcohol.

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I always - repeat ALWAYS - make my Bloodies from scratch. There is absolutely NO Bloody Mary mix that is not oversalted and overspiced. To make great cocktails, keep it simple, and keep it original. And for Pete (Petiot's) sake, PLEASE make them fresh!

Bloody Wonderful, isn't it?

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Cinema recommendation:

My choice would be Islands in the Stream (1977), the film made from Hemingway's posthumously published novel and starring George C. Scott and Claire Bloom. It was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner.

Manhattan Cocktail

The Manhattan Cocktail is, after the Classic Martini, arguably the most popular cocktail there is.

This is a very simple affair, containing only three, easy to obtain ingredients.

And the nice thing, is that - like the martini - its variations are also good.

The Manhattan Cocktail

2 oz Blended whiskey (Please don't use bourbon. Canadian Club works best!)

1 oz Sweet vermouth

Dash Angostura bitters

Maraschino cherry

Into a cocktail shaker or stirring glass, place the ingredients and ice. Stir or shake until cold, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

A Perfect Manhattan uses 1/2 oz sweet vermouth and 1/2 oz dry vermouth and is garnished with a lemon twist.

A Rob Roy is a Manhattan made with Scotch, instead of Canadian Club

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Cinema recommendation

How about Breakfast at Tiffany's?

Old Fashioned: Just Like Me

This cocktail is, just as the name implies, old fashioned. It's been around for more than a century, which makes it old, if nothing else.

You can look at this as a sort of short highball. Preparation isn't as easy as some cocktails, but all ingredients are readily available in nearly any good liquor store.

This is how to make an Old Fashioned:

The Old Fashioned

1 Sugar cube

1 Dash Angostura bitters

2 oz Blended whiskey or bourbon

Soda water or club soda

Maraschino cherry or orange slice

Into an Old Fashioned glass, place the sugar cube and add a dash of Angostura bitters to the cube. Add a splash of club soda and gently stir. Add several ice cubes and the whiskey, and another splash of club soda. Stir. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and/or a slice of orange.

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Cinema recommendation

What better movie to go with an Old Fashioned, than an old fashioned movie?