Regardless of the actor wearing the suit, James Bond has always shown his fondness for martinis. Of course, those are, in his iconic words, meant to be "shaken, not stirred."

However, at the time Ian Fleming's novels were first released in the 1950s, it was an odd choice. A gentleman ordering a shaken martini might be considered unconventional at best and a lightweight at worst. It is not the recommended way of drinking a martini. The flavor doesn't pack as much punch, and the alcohol gets watered down. Shaking a martini also distributes the ice more evenly, making the drink colder. This, therefore, begs the question of why the spy intentionally selects a version of his favorite drink that's seemingly weaker and considered less desirable.

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Rumors and Fan Speculation Surrounding James Bond's Martini Order

The shaken martini was an interesting topic of discussion in the above Reddit thread, where the original poster proposed that Bond deliberately chooses a weaker drink to keep his wits sharp while at the same time appearing more inebriated than he actually is. That way, the spy can take opponents by surprise if he ever needs to think or act quickly. Other Reddit users added their own credible theories to the discussion, including the idea that Bond prefers his drinks colder or that he orders his martinis shaken as a way of diluting poorer quality vodkas that aren't quite up to his standards.

The specificity of the order has to be taken into account. Bond is a character who knows exactly what he wants and is attuned to his own tastes, so there must be a reason for his choice beyond mere whimsy. Bond's creator, Ian Fleming, was also very passionate and specific when it came to cocktails. One of the best rumors as to why Ian Fleming chose to make Bond a shaken, not stirred man was because he himself once tried a martini served that way and found it quite enjoyable.

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How James Bond's Martini Order Differs in the Books and Movies

A wary James Bond (Daniel Craig) holds a Martini while sat down

While movie versions of Bond have remained loyal to vodka, in the novels, the character experiments far more with his martinis. Sometimes they're shaken, but not always. Gin, which reacts worse to shaking than vodka does, makes an occasional appearance. There's also the famous Vesper martini, which is featured in the novel Casino Royale and contains both gin and vodka. The book version of Bond also works champagne, whisky and other cocktails into his drinking rotation.

The movies are less adventurous with Bond's drinks, as he's more likely to stick to that shaken martini. And, with movies, it makes sense to stick to one extremely quotable drink order. After all, it's worked pretty well for 61 years.