Modern Vesper recipe
A brighter Vesper with Cocchi Americano bringing back Kina Lillet's quinine-like edge.
Method: Shake ·
Glass: Coupe glass ·
Time: 3 min ·
Difficulty: Intermediate ·
Family: The Martini Family
Ingredients
- 2.5 oz London Dry Gin
- 0.75 oz Vodka
- 0.5 oz Cocchi Americano
- 1 dash Orange Bitters
How to make a Modern Vesper
- Chill a coupe glass.
- Add gin, vodka, Cocchi Americano and orange bitters to a shaker with ice.
- Shake hard for 12-15 seconds until very cold.
- Double strain into the chilled coupe.
- Express a long lemon peel over the drink and garnish.
Garnish
Long lemon peel twist.
Pro tip
Cocchi Americano is more bitter than Lillet Blanc, so keep the measure modest and use a crisp, juniper-led gin.
History of the Modern Vesper
Modern Vesper recipes commonly use Cocchi Americano and bitters to restore some of the bitterness lost when Kina Lillet disappeared from the original formula.
Flavour profile
Boozy, Bitter, Botanical, Citrus
Variations
- Vesper — Return to Lillet Blanc for the modern standard build.
- Dirty Vesper — Add olive brine for a savory, Martini-like edge.
- French Vesper — Use more gin and a dash of absinthe.
Practise making the Modern Vesper in the free Virtual Bar game.