Dukes Bar & Floris Unveil the No.89 Martini: 'Fleming 89'

Dukes Bar and Floris have joined forces for a truly inspired creation in honour of author Ian Fleming: The Fleming 89 Martini.

Fleming enjoyed spending much of his time in the St James area of London where he would do much of his shopping and socialising. Known for his impeccable taste for quality and luxury Ian Fleming was a regular visitor at Dukes, where he penned much of his book Casino Royal, naming the leading lady Vesper after one of the bar's cocktails, and at Floris where he purchased various grooming items including his fragrance of choice, No.89, named after the number of the shop in Jermyn Street.

Using various ingredients written in the original 1951 formula book for the No.89 fragrance at Floris, legendary Dukes Barman Alessandro Palazzi carefully picked out essences and oils that inspired him and which he knew he could experiment with in the creation of a martini. After several attempts and much tasting Alessandro arrived at the final creation that he knew was a fine representation of the fragrance and the perfect tribute to Fleming himself.

Alessandro Palazzi first made the cocktail for an audience at the The Art of Being British event in September on Jermyn street. The Floris perfumer also did a demonstration of mixing up perfumes on that same event.