Swift founders pen James Bond cocktail book

Bar entrepreneurs Mia Johansson, Bobby Hiddleston and Edmund Weil have penned a cocktail book inspired by author Ian Fleming and his James Bond novels.

Shaken – Drinking with James Bond and Ian Fleming is inspired by the “people, places and plots” of the original James Bond novels

Johansson, Hiddleston and Weil, who founded acclaimed London bar Swift along with Rosie Stimpson, collaborated with The Ian Fleming Estate and Ian Fleming Publications on the project.

The book, titled Shaken – Drinking with James Bond & Ian Fleming, includes 50 cocktail recipes inspired by both the author’s life and the adventures of James Bond.

Ten of these serves come from the books themselves, while Johansson and Hiddleston created 40 new recipes inspired by the “people, places and plots” of the original novels. Weil, meanwhile, produced the copy.

In addition to the recipes, Shaken looks at the history of the world’s most famous spy, with anecdotes from Fleming’s real-life inspirations.

“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,” said Johansson.

“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.”

Ian Fleming’s nephew, Fergus Fleming, has written the book’s introduction. He said: “These cocktails reflect that behind everything there is a story waiting to be told.

“So take comfort as you raise the glass that it contains no ordinary drink. You have mixed a measure of Ian Fleming’s imagination.”

Swift will launch a special menu listing some of the serves from Shaken to mark the launch of the book.