While pretty much everyone associates the vodka martini with James Bond, I thought this lesser known easy cocktail would be perfect to accompany the post on Ken Adam. Did you miss the post on Ken Adam? You can link to it here.
Interestingly the James Bond cocktail originates from Harry's New York Bar in Paris, not from a London Bar or even the more famous Harry's Bar in Venice. Harry's New York Bar is a classic haunt dating from 1911 on Rue Danou between Place de l'Opera and Place Vendome. Harry's New York Bar was initially owned by a successful jockey named Tod Sloan who partnered with an unknown New York bar owner to purchase a former bistro in Paris and convert it to a bar. They shipped the entire interior of the former bar in New York to fit out the interior of the new bar in Paris. Eventually Tod sold the bar to the bartender Harry MacElhone who added his name to the business. The bar was a popular watering hole for American expats and tourists during the jazz age and also during WWI, when it became the gathering place for the American Field Service Ambulance Corps.
This cocktail is super easy to make and very elegant, but like its namesake- beware!
It's dangerous! It's basically a classic Champagne cocktail with the addition of vodka-hence the punch.
James Bond
Place a sugar cube in a champagne coupe and saturate it with several dashes of Angostura bitters.
Add one oz. of vodka and top with champagne.
Garnish with a lemon peel. It's that easy!