Three Ways: Vesper Martini

January 02, 2026

Asheville’s Chai Pani | Photo by Tim Robison

Named for a character in Ian Fleming’s 1953 novel Casino Royale, the Vesper Martini invites experimentation. Traditionally, the spirit-forward cocktail combines a heady mix of gin, vodka, and the French aperitif Lillet, served in a Martini glass and garnished with a lemon twist. In the decades since James Bond first ordered his signature drink, generations of bartenders have found ways to put their stamp on it.

“The Vesper is a fascinating classic to reinterpret,” says David Choi, beverage director and director of operations at Carne by Allora in Brooklyn. Infusing or fat-washing the gin and vodka, or incorporating bolder flavors like mezcal or manzanilla sherry, completely transforms the cocktail’s crisp character. Like the hard-drinking icon for which it was created, the Vesper “feels both timeless and adaptable,” Choi says.

Edith Martini

At Petite Edith in Chicago, beverage director Stevan Miller swaps the vodka in a traditional Vesper for joven mezcal to add “weight, earthiness, and that mysterious something that makes you want to keep tasting.” A small pour of manzanilla sherry bridges the smoky mezcal and bright gin. “It brings this saline lift and gentle nuttiness that ties the whole thing together. Without it, the drink would be missing its heartbeat,” Miller says.

1 oz. London dry gin
1 oz. joven mezcal
3/4 oz. Cap Corse Quinquina blanc aperitif
1/4 oz. manzanilla sherry

Tools: mixing glass, barspoon
Glass: coupe
Garnish: caviar-stuffed olive

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing glass and stir with ice. Place three dashes of orange bitters in a chilled coupe. Strain half of the stirred mix into a chilled carafe, then pour the other half into the coupe while squeezing a fresh lemon peel over the glass to express the oils through the stream of liquid. Rub the peel around the rim and discard. Garnish the cocktail with a caviar-stuffed olive, and serve the carafe on the side over ice.

Stevan Miller, Petite Edith, Chicago

Olive Oil Vesper Martini

Fat-washing gin with herby olive oil gives Choi’s Vesper variation layers of flavor and “a silky, luxurious texture,” he says. The resulting cocktail holds its own alongside Carne’s Italian-accented steakhouse menu.

2 oz. infused gin
1 oz. vodka
1/2 oz. Lillet Blanc
2 dashes orange bitters

Tools: mixing glass, barspoon, strainer
Glass: coupe
Garnish: lemon peel and olive

Rinse a chilled coupe with absinthe, and then add all the ingredients to an ice-filled mixing glass and stir. Strain into the coupe and express a lemon peel over the drink, then garnish with the peel and an olive.
Infused GinWarm 1 cup of olive oil in a small pot, and then remove from heat and stir in 4-5 basil leaves, 2 sprigs each of thyme and rosemary, and the zest of half a lemon. Let sit for 2-3 hours, then strain. Combine 3/4 cup of herb oil with 750 ml of gin (Carne uses Gardners) and let sit for 4-5 hours. Freeze overnight, skim off the solidified oil, and fine-strain into a clean container. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

David Choi, Carne by Allora, Brooklyn

Simple & Clean

An easy overnight infusion gives the split base of this riff from Asheville’s Chai Pani crisp flavors befitting its name. “It’s so refreshing to sip this after a big bite of something spicy,” says bar manager Sarah Adams, noting the heat and aromatic character of many of the restaurant’s Indian dishes. The dash of salinity is similarly refreshing, and “adds a subtle brine to the recipe that nods toward a Dirty Martini,” she says. The drink can be made to order or batched and stored in the freezer.

2 1/2 oz. the infused base
1/4 oz. blanc vermouth
1/4 oz. génépy
5 drops 4:1 saline solution

Tools: mixing glass, barspoon, strainer
Glass: coupe
Garnish: cucumber slice

Still all the ingredients in an ice-filled mixing glass for 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with a cucumber slice.
Cucumber-Infused Gin and VodkaCombine 16 oz. of gin (Adams uses Murrell’s Row Tulsi), 8 oz. of vodka (such as Chemist), and 300 grams of thinly sliced cucumbers in a large container and refrigerate overnight. Strain and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Sarah Adams, Chai Pani, Asheville, North Carolina