Martini & Rossi vermouth

When we think of martini, we usually think of the (vodka) martini cocktail that Bond consumes regularly. But the brand Martini, a vermouth, is also often seen in Bond films and mentioned in Bond novels, as part of the martini cocktail.

The Martini & Rossi vermouth brand was founded in 1863 in Turin, Italy and named after founders Alessandro Martini and Luigi Rossi. The Martin & Rossi company merged with Bacardiin 1993.

Martini & Rossi in James Bond films

Bottles of Martini & Rossi Rosso (red) or Extra Dry (white) vermouth can be spotted in many films. Here's a selection of appearances.

In Dr No (1962), the first James Bond film, it looks like a green Martini bottle next to a Smirnoff bottle in James Bonds room, the first time he receives a vodka martini, not stirred, from a personal waiter.

In Goldfinger (1964) we can see Martini Rosso and Martini Extra Dry in Goldfinger's airplane on the way to America.

In You Only Live Twice (1965), Dikko Henderson fixes Bond a martini (“That’s stirred, not shaken...that was right, wasn’t it?”) that is made with Russian vodka and Martini Extra Dry. Henderson reveals he gets the vodka from the doorman at the Russian embassy in Tokyo.

In Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Martini can be seen clearly in the Amsterdam appartment of Tiffany Case (Jill St. John) when she pours herself a Martini Rosso vermouth in a glass while talking to James Bond (Sean Connery). Another famous image is that of Sean Connery in the bathtub at the Hotel Tropicana in Las Vegas, reading a magazine while on the phone, with bottles of Martini Extra Dry and Smirnoff Vodka on a silver platter.

In The Man With The Golden Gun (1974), Martini can be spotted in Nick Nack's kitchen.

In Moonraker (1979), a Martini logo can be clearly seen on the back of a chair on a terrace, when James Bond (Roger Moore) drives his gondola on St Mark's Square.

In Octopussy (1983), we see Bollinger Tradition in a cooler, Smirnoff Vodka, Martini Extra Dry, lemon slices in Octopussy's room.

In The Living Daylights (1987), Kara Milovy (Maryam d'Abo) drugs Bond (Timothy Dalton) with a martini made with Stolichnaya Vodka, Martini Extra Dry and chloral hydrate. In Kara's dressing room, at the end of the film, there are two martinis on a silver plate with a shaker, and bottles of Stolichnaya Vodka and Martini Extra Dry.

During the Dalton era, Martini & Rossi promoted "The 007 Cocktail", a martini recipe with 3 parts Martini & Rossi Extra Dry Vermouth, 2 parts orange juice juice and a splash of grenadine (and no vodka or gin). The martinis were served in nightclubs and came with a 007 stirring stick and 007 martini glass.

Martini in James Bond novels

In the novel Live And Let Die, James Bond and Felix Leiter drink gin martinis made with Martini & Rossi.

"Leiter ordered medium-dry Martinis with a slice of lemon peel. He stipulated House of Lords gin and Martini Rossi." - Ian Fleming, Live And Let Die, Chapter IV.

Martini Racing

Martini is known for its sponsorship of car racing under the name Martini Racing, which includes famous race cars from Porsche and Lancia (the Delta rally car for example). During the Mexican Grand Prix Formula 1 race on November 1st 2015 (only days after the SPECTRE world premiere), the Williams Martini Racing cars sported a 007 SPECTRE logo on the top of the chassis and 007 logos on the wing mirrors. As part of the promotional activities, Williams driver Felipe Massa also drove the Jaguar C-X75 from SPECTRE in Mexico City.