London mixologists publish cocktail recipe book inspired by James Bond

A group of mixologists and entrepreneurs behind some of London’s highest-ranking bars have collaborated on a cocktail recipe book inspired by James Bond.

Titled Shaken — Drinking with James Bond & Ian Fleming, the book’s recipes were created by Mia Johansson and Bobby Hiddleston of Soho cocktail bar Swift, along with Edmund Weil of Speakeasy Entertainment (Nightjar, Oriole Swift).

The team partnered The Ian Fleming Estate and Ian Fleming Publications Ltd to create 50 bond-based beverages, which draw on author Fleming’s life and 007’s adventures.

The book launch will take place at Swift in Soho on 4th September.

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“We were thrilled to be thrown into the world of Mr Fleming and Bond, and were completely engulfed by the mysteries and mayhem Fleming created,” Johannson said.

“We wanted to bring the classic cocktail history within it up to the modern day. It is an honour to showcase what we think Fleming and his characters would be pictured as drinking in 2018.”

As well as delivering crime thriller-themed drinks recipes, the book delves deep into the history of James Bond, with anecdotes from Fleming’s real-life inspirations and quotes from the novels themselves.

“Ian Fleming was a great descriptive writer and truly relished writing about food and drink,” Weil said, “so the pages of his novels are packed with inspiration.”

Starting the series with Casino Royale in 1953, Fleming went on to write 12 novels and two collections of short stories based on the fictional Secret Service agent, two of which were published posthumously.