Home Stretch: The Vesper Martini

By Dave Pezza

The name is Pezza...Dave Pezza, and I’m here to bring you the latest installment of Writer’s Bone’s Home Stretch. Here you’ll find the smoothest cocktails paired with the classiest tunes to help you swoon the mid-week machinations of work and life. This week, we’ve donned our finest Italian suit, acquired the freshest ingredients, and crafted the most iconic music associated with one of the classiest, sexiest franchises in fiction: Ian Fleming’s James Bond.

Friday’s #NovelClass will feature Fleming’s groundbreaking, seminal Bond novel, Casino Royale. In anticipation for that pod, I present to you the most James Bond cocktail of all time and a specially curated playlist of some of the Bond film franchise’s most famous tracks. Unclasp those cufflinks, let down that fancy up-do, it’s time to drink some classy booze!

Yes, we’re featuring a martini, Bond’s ever-famous, go-to cocktail while wooing some devilishly attractive female. Even the delivery is famous, “Vodka martini. Shaken. Not stirred.” But James Bond, more accurately in Ian Fleming’s novel, did not create the vodka martini. He is responsible for the Vesper Martini, this week’s featured beverage. In the aforementioned Casino Royale, Bond sits at a fancy hotel bar with American CIA agent and soon-to-be best friend Felix Leiter. Bond first orders a Haig-and-Haig on the rocks, a popular Scotch whiskey of the time. But before the barman has time to retrieve the order, Bond looks him square in the face and says, “martini, dry...One. In a deep champagne goblet.” And before the barman can retrieve that order, Bond stops him again. He says, “Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon-peel. Got it?” And just like that the Vesper Martini was born!

What you’ll need:

• 3 oz. Gordon’s London dry gin
• 1 oz. vodka (take your pick)
• ½ oz. Kina Lillet
• Cocktail shaker
• Ice
• Full lemon

To pair with Bond’s take on the gin martini, I’ve put together a playlist of my favorite licks from the long and sometimes illustrious Bond film franchise. I hope you enjoy the picks and this potent beverage.

3 oz. Gordon’s London dry gin/“The James Bond...James Bond” by David Arnold

Before you read any further, start up the playlist. The opening track is David Arnold’s take on the original “The James Bond Theme Song” created in 1962 for the first James Bond film “Dr. No,” starring the one and only Sean Connery. I’ve included the original at the playlist’s end, but I fell in love with Arnold’s version the minute I heard it at the end of 2006 Bond film “Casino Royale,” the first film in the series to star the current Bond actor Daniel Craig. That movie rebooted the series and sought to rescue the franchise from over-the-top action, absurd gadgets, and corny humor of the later Pierce Brosnan films. The theme song and the reboot reestablished the franchise and the character of James Bond as a gritty British spy brimming with bravado, wit, and just a pinch of panache. To capture this rebirth, Arnold (also responsible for the scores for “Independence Day” and the BBC series “Sherlock”) redid the famous theme song, giving it a crisp grandeur that builds to a powerful and refined finish.

Gordon’s London dry gin is a classic English gin originally created in 1769. As a company, Gordon’s lasted through the centuries and eventually merged with Tanqueray in 1898. So we are talking the epitome of English gin here. Most liquor stores carry some iteration of Gordon’s. I’d suggest picking up a bottle if only to say you’ve tried Gordon’s. Add some ice to the cocktail shaker and add three ounces of Gordon’s.

1 oz. Vodka/“Goldfinger” by Sirely Bassey

Bond doesn’t specify vodka and neither will I. The vodka and the Kina Lillet add some nuance to what would otherwise be a pretty standard gin martini. In that vein, I’d suggest a more muted vodka, something between expensive/smooth and cheap/overly flavorful. Add only one ounce of vodka to your concoction.

“Goldfinger,” the theme song from arguably the best Bond film, captures some of the Bond theme but also incorporates a heavy 1960s influence of horns, bluesy female vocals, and big band sound. You’ll be belting out “GOLLLLLLLDDDDDD-FINGA!” for days, I assure you.

½ oz. Kina Lillet/“Writing’s On The Wall” by Sam Smith

I’m not a big Sam Smith fan, but this song that he wrote for the 2015 Bond film “Spectre” is a monster. The first Bond theme song to place Number 1 on the U.K. charts, “Writing’s on the Wall” managed to capture a softer, often overlooked tone in the Bond franchise. Borrowing much in feel from Adele’s 2012 Bond theme for “Skyfall,” Sam Smith juxtaposes strong and delicate vocals over an orchestral accompaniment that expertly magnifies the bold and subdued dichotomy of his voice.

We’ve used Kina Lillet before in this series, (Corpse Reviver #2). If you still have some from that recipe in the fridge, break it out. If not, it’s definitely time for a new bottle. Kina Lillet has a distinct sweet but not overpowering flavor that will help smooth the edges of some of the gin flavors. Add only half an ounce of Kina Lillet to the shaker.

Lemon peel/“Live and Let Die” by Paul McCartney, Wings

Close the lid on the shaker, and shake it up. Once the contents are good and cold, take the lemon and use a vegetable peeler to peel off a thin, long piece of the lemon rind, spinning the lemon as you carve out a spiral from top to bottom. Place that peel into a cocktail glass and pour out the shaker.

I couldn’t pass up talking about Paul McCartney’s incomparable Bond theme song. The most famous of the Bond themes, the former Beatle managed to throw a whole lot of sounds into this tune. You’ve got the signature piano, strings, and horns that scream James Bond, and a whole manner of wind instruments. I’m pretty sure there is a xylophone in there as well. A fun, quietly menacing arrangement that matched quite perfectly with the awkward seriousness that would become Roger Moore’s Bond.

Cheers!

Tune into #NovelClass on Friday for Dave Pezza and Sean Tuohy’s discussion of Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale.

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Home Stretch: White Russian and “Cosmos Factory” by Creedence Clearwater Revival

By Dave Pezza

Good golly Miss Molly do we have a line-up for the Home Stretch faithful this week. We are sharing one of my favorite, simple cocktails, and one of my all-time favorite albums: the White Russian and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Cosmos Factory.” Loosen up that tie, kick off those heels, fire up the turntable, and mosey on over to the bar. Get ready to cut the rug that really brings the room together because it’s time for the Home Stretch.

Creedence Clearwater Revival has a plethora of great albums, hits, and B-sides, but “Cosmos Factory” is the end-all be-all of CCR recordings. In a simple 42-minute span “Cosmos Factory” brings you legends like “Lookin’ Out My Back Door,” “Run Through The Jungle” (featured in every Vietnam movie ever made), “Up Around The Bend,” and “Heard It Through The Grapevine.” And this is leaving out the deep cuts! The casual, lounging, Californian vibe of CCR will most assuredly put you into better mood after that god-awful day known as hump day.

I doubt I’ll have to say more about one of the greatest rock bands in recorded history. And for those who haven’t heard CCR before, well, that I cannot abide. “Cosmos Factory,” the band’s fifth album, contains a near perfect mixture of classic rock tempo and acoustics with a crawling swamp and southern rock drawl with an attitude that will make you glad you have an ice cold beverage in hand. And that cold beverage has been, I might add, expertly selected by yours truly.

The White Russian, or Caucasian, fits exceptional well with this album for many reasons. The most important might be that it is tasty, ice cold, and disappears like a briefcase full of money in the backseat of your car. The Caucasian is not as heavy as it appears, and, despite its use of cream, makes for a very enjoyable cocktail after a long, hot summer workday.

What you’ll need:

• 2 ounces of vodka
• 1 ounce Kahlua
• Milk or cream
• Ice
• Rocks glass

Oh so cleverly named, along with its twin the Black Russian, because of its use of vodka and cream, this cocktail is dangerously simple and offers a wealth of flavor and pungency that might make you feel a little bit out of your element.

1 oz. Kahlua/“Ramble Tamble”

“Ramble Tamble” is a seven-minute, eleven-second show stopper that incorporates the band’s nuanced sounds in an expertly crafted leadoff tune. It starts off with a quick and catchy beat, a crisp Southern guitar loop, and John Fogarty’s signature vocals. The tempo is upbeat and jolly but tapers off two minutes in and leads you into a blues-infused epic of solos and jams. And just when you’ve thought the song has completely had its way with you, it breaks right back into the upbeat, leg-tapping number from the beginning.

I think it would be reasonable to compare Kahlua to “Ramble Tamble.” Both are real ringers. “Ramble Tamble” is a seemingly low-key opener before a wealth of greatest-hits worthy tunes, and Kahlua is a syrupy, sweet coffee liquor that adds a wealth of flavor to the few ingredients piled around it. Grab some ice from the freezer, and fill your rocks glass about half way with ice. Add one ounce or so of Kahlua to your glass. The exact amount here is not as important as keeping the ratio between vodka to Kahlua two to one, otherwise you’ll be over the line as far as sweetness goes once you’ve added your cream.

2 oz. vodka/“Lookin’ Out My Back Door”

How this song does not brighten your evening after a long hard day is baffling. Whether you are grooving while making a beverage at your place or cruising in your car, “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” is sure to crack a smile on that semi-permanent scowl. A short and simple ditty that is pure fun in contrast to the more complex and heavier songs on the album’s backend. Belt that chorus as you splash vodka into the rocks glass, you’ll be really glad you did, “DO DO DO, LOOKIN OUT MY BACK DOOR!”

Vodka is a hell of an alcoholic beverage, so versatile, wearer of so many hats. The vodka in this drink is going to be all but drowned out by the Kahlua and cream. But that’s okay; it adds a nice alcoholic base that cuts some of the sweetness from the aforementioned ingredients. Add double the amount of vodka as Kahlua, but here we’re adding two ounces.

Milk or cream/“I Heard It Through The Grapevine”

CCR’s version of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” is obnoxiously catchy on all levels. The drumbeat, the chorus, the low thick guitar, everything. I also consider this song one of the all-time great summer jams, perhaps because my grandfather never failed to play it at every summer outing or perhaps because “Cosmo’s Factory” was the summer album of 1970, stealing the number one spot on the Billboard 200 for nine weeks straight that year. In any event, it’s not a bad call on this hot summer evening.

Take some cream (milk will do just fine in a pinch) and add a few dashes of it, just enough to change the color of the drink from a thick black syrup to a coffee color and consistency. Take a spoon, and give it a good mix, making that color uniform. There you have it, a White Russian.

Cheers!

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Home Stretch: Mojito and No Doubt's “Rock Steady”

By Dave Pezza

It’s officially summer! Those of us in the Northeast can take a quiet sigh of relief that winter is a full season behind us and can no longer fling two inches of snow at us like that annoying kid from middle school who, no matter how hard you tried to ditch him, managed to show up and piss you off (Yeah, that’s right I’m looking at you, Gian).

It’s fitting then that we’ve taken Home Stretch on the road this week to the one, the only, the glitzy, Los Angeles. In this perennial summer town, I can’t help but talk about a classic summer cocktail with a classic Californian album: the mojito and No Doubt’s “Rock Steady.”

I’m slightly embarrassed over how much I enjoy both of this week’s choices. No Doubt grew to popularity right as pre-teen Dave Pezza began to find music. “Rock Steady” was released in December of 2001 and captured a West Coast/take-it-easy vibe that was desperately needed after the terrorist attacks of September 11. Those of you who grew up in the late ‘90s and early 2000s will undoubtedly remember hearing the album’s lead single “Hella Good” at least a thousand times. “Rock Steady” quickly became a stable alternative rock album.

Similarly, the mojito is a staple summer cocktail. Originating in Havana, and made famous by Ernest Hemingway himself, the mojito is a refreshing alcoholic escape from the summer heat and is fairly easy to make despite the hem and haw of bartenders asked to make it. The mojito is an immensely attractive cocktail that, when served correctly (like at The Lobster on the Santa Monica Pier) can be as potent as it is enjoyable.

What you’ll need:

• 2.5 ounces white rum (I suggest Bacardi)
• 0.5 ounces of lime juice (fresh squeezed really makes a difference)
• 1 tsp. sugar or to taste
• Club soda
• 8 to 10 mint leaves
• Ice
• Muddling tool or wooden spoon
• Highball or collins glass

Hopefully the sun is still out and the air still hot when you gather up all of your ingredients and push play this week, because you’re about to forget all about early morning meetings, incompetent bosses, and those torturously long Dunkin' Donuts lines!

0.5 oz. lime juice, 1tsp. sugar, and mint leaves/“Hella Good”

What a song! The ‘90s were a terrific time for electronica, and the contemporary trance music scene owes much of its beginning to artists like Daft Punk, who came out of the clubs and into the mainstream in the ‘90s and early 2000s. “Hella Good” borrows its simple but enticing beat and added effects from that trend. A true alternative rock band, No Doubt’s “Hella Good” cemented the band’s ability to craft a pound-for-pound hit song. This track is perfect to rock out to with headphones, blast before going out, or just to nod to while typing up your weekly Internet article. “Hella Good” gets everything warmed up and loose.

In an odd sense, the first part of this cocktail is the catalyst that makes the mojito so legendary. You’re getting almost all of your non-alcoholic parts of this cocktail together to create an impressive flavor profile. Grab your highball or collins glass, add your sugar, and squeeze in your lime juice. Then add five or six of the mint leaves. Take the muddling tool and muddle the sugar, lime juice, and mint together. In my experience, which I can honestly say is extensive when it comes to mojitos, these steps make or break the drink for some people. Use the measurements here as a guide for future mojitos. Muddle the ingredients almost to a paste-like consistency that mixes with the rum into a sweet nectar.           

2.5 oz. white rum/“Hey Baby”

Any white rum will do here. I’m partial to Bacardi because it has a middle-of-the-road flavor that doesn’t create an overly distinct taste that can throw off the flavor of your cocktail. Once you get a feel for how you want your mojito to taste, play around with different white, and even moderately spiced, rums. Add the 2.5 oz. (or more!) of white rum. The rum should mix with the previously muddled ingredients, but use a spoon to mix them even more. It’s important that the sugar, lime, and mint dissolve into the rum and, eventually, the club soda. The sugars of all the ingredients to this point should mix wonderfully, creating a perfectly sweet yet surprisingly refreshing experience.

“Hey Baby” immediately follows “Hella Good” and raises the album’s tempo and incorporates the band’s more traditional, ska-influenced sounds. The song is topped off with Gwen Stefani’s signature and entrancingly playful singing style. This might be the album that forever endeared Stefani to me. She’s strong, energetic, nonchalant, and vulnerable throughout the album, and “Hey Baby” starts off this tour-de-Gwen. Like the previous track, “Hey Baby” adds new elements to the band’s sound with a rapping bridge from Bounty Hunter. “Hey Baby” will certainly get you singing and rocking to your neighbor’s dismay. How one cannot belt the chorus is beyond the understanding of this humble writer.

Ice, club soda, and pour/“Underneath it All”

Fine. You win. I admit it, “Underneath It All” is my favorite No Doubt song. Are you happy? I hope so, ‘cause I certainly am. What a silent giant this jam is. Admittedly, “Underneath It All” is best digested when driving along the coast, windows down, volume up. But it’s also particularly potent after a long day, with a drink in your hand, and a warm summer breeze compelling the ice-cold condensation from your glass to drip ever so slowly onto your tired and over-typed fingers.

Here is a fun game to play. Listen to this song on repeat and see if you can sing all the words to Lady Shaw’s rap portion of the song. If you can’t, don’t worry! Just take a healthy sip of your mojito and try again. Repeat.

Speaking of your mojito, fill your collins or highball glass about halfway with ice. Then add some club soda. Again, use a spoon to make sure the concoction is mixed well. Give it a quick taste test. If it is too strong, add more club soda. Once you’ve reached the right taste, throw in the remaining mint leaves and ice until the glass is full. And, as always, enjoy!

Salute!

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Home Stretch: The Original Margarita and “Gun for You” by The Greenhornes

By Dave Pezza

Hey everyone, welcome back to Home Stretch where we present to you a DIY cocktail and an accompanying album to help you ride out the rest of your week with some semblance of sanity.

This week we’ll be making a wonderfully easy and delicious version of the margarita and listening to “Gun for You,” the 1999 debut release of Detroit garage rockers The Greenhornes. These selections take a classic approach to both genres. The classic margarita is a stripped down, no frills version of a popular and over-thought cocktail. The Greenhornes are a 1990s version of 1960s pop rock. Think Beatles meets The Doors but playing in dive bars in downtown Detroit during the late ‘90s. The Greenhornes didn’t have much commercial success, unlike their friend and fellow Detroit rocker Jack White of The White Stripes.

After a few albums, The Greenhornes split, returning to record a new album in the late 2000s after the band's rhythm section, Jack Lawrence (bass) and Patrick Keeler (drums), hit success with Jack White’s second band The Raconteurs (famous for “Steady as She Goes”). The band recorded one more album, “Four Stars,” in 2010 with a killer single, “Underestimator,” but nothing I have heard in a long time sounds quite like their debut album. It brings a contemporary vibe to that classic, and beloved, early rock sound. With the weather finally warming up, this album and cocktail will get you feeling alright on a Wednesday night.

What you’ll need:

• 2.5 oz. silver tequila
• 1 oz. Cointreau
• 1 oz. lime juice
• Coarse sea salt or sugar
• Lime for garnish
• Rocks glass
• Cocktail shaker
• Ice

What can you say about the margarita that you don’t already know? It’s the most palatable version of tequila known to mankind, which is no small feat. This “original” version is way more versatile and is much more geared toward lovers of simple cocktails or those that want to whip up a quick drink for the lawn chair on a summer night. It’s also pretty potent, but that’s a good thing. It’s a cocktail after all!

2.5 oz. of silver tequila/“The End of the Night”

The key here is Blue Agave Silver Tequila. I went with your garden variety Jose Cuervo Especial. It gets the job done for sure. I wouldn’t bother with higher priced tequila here. Start off by filling your cocktail shaker with ice about half way. Then add 2.5 oz. of the tequila.

Tequila is the firebrand of alcohol. Always has been, always will be. “The End of the Night” is the album’s opening track, and gets you grooving to The Greenhornes sound early and often. Clocking in at only a minute and fifty-one seconds, this track gives you the full breadth of the band’s sound in a perfectly compact package—simple guitar melody, modest lead guitar riffs, and Ringo Star-styled drums that aren't putting anyone through college but never miss a beat. You’re swaying, you’re grooving, and just the smell of the tequila has got you loosening up.

1 oz. of Cointreau/“Hold Me”

You should still have that bottle of Cointreau I made you buy in Home Stretch’s first post back in May. Don’t worry, you’ll be getting your money’s worth on that bottle in the next few weeks. As previously mentioned, Cointreau helps round the sharper flavors of the alcohol it accompanies. In this case, Cointreau takes a little bit of that tequila bite out, smoothing it with citrus undertones. And at 80 proof, Cointreau is truly a silent killer, helping to make this cocktail all the more potent. Add one ounce of Cointreau to the shaker.

“Hold Me” is a quieter, organ transfused The Doors-esque ballad that breaks the album in two. You can sing along and sway because the groove is simultaneously immense and calming. Perhaps it’s the album's hidden gem, I’ll let you decide.

1 oz. lime juice/“Show Me Love”

“Show Me Love” is this album’s “Love Me Do.” Suggestive, fun, and sure to crack a smile on that crinkled, Wednesday face. This track is the first of a double feature that works really well together to offer a mild and measured almost rockabilly nature. “Show Me Love” really gets you moving and rocking as you wrap up your cocktail.

Lime goes well with tequila, it’s a thing. Don’t shy away from it here. I’d offer that in addition to lime juice, add some fresh squeezed lime juice from the lime you’ll be using in part for garnish later. Add an ounce of lime juice to the shaker.

Shake, coarse sea salt, garnish, pour/“So Cold”

Everyone loves the heartbreak song. You just can’t help it. “So Cold” will hit you where it counts, but this track offers solemn organs, delicate guitar, and a laid back drum beat that makes it an entirely enjoyable ballad. Don’t fear, there is a trio of tracks left that ends the album on a lively note.

Go ahead and shake the contents of the cocktail shaker well. Slice off a wedge of the lime and run it along the edge of your rocks glass, squeezing as you run it along the rim. Then pour your course sea salt or sugar, depending on your taste, into a plate and dip the rim of the glass into the salt or sugar, turning to make sure the lime juice picks up as much of the salt or sugar as possible. Add some ice to the rocks glass and pour! Finally garnish with a wedge of lime.

Salute!

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