Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

Papers

Shaken, not stirred: bioanalytical study of the antioxidant activities of martinis

BMJ 1999; 319 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.319.7225.1600 (Published 18 December 1999) Cite this as: BMJ 1999;319:1600

Rapid Response:

Shaken, not stirred

Sir

The biochemistry team from London Ontario, writing in the issue for 18-25
December (1), must be congratulated on their enterprise in discovering
that a mixture of gin and vermouth has far more antioxidant activity than
either alone and that this activity becomes mysteriously more powerful
after
shaking. It is however difficult to know how accurately their findings
are a model for interpreting Commander James Bond's health status.

First,
the curious synergism between antioxidant capacities of the two liquors
suggests that the proportions of each are likely to influence the final
result substantially. The test martini consisted of 2 parts gin:1 part
vermouth, but this would hardly meet the needs of a practised martini
drinker like Mr Bond.

Cocktail expert David Embury sets out 3.5:1 to 7:1
as the acceptable range for medium to dry martinis (2) and Mr Bond appears
to agree with this. His biographer, Ian Fleming, was able to document the
agent's preferred recipe only once, but this was 6 parts gin:2 parts
vodka:1 part vermouth (3). As well, the Bond drink specified Kina Lillet
in place of normal vermouth. It is possible that Mr Fleming misheard the
details but, if Bond did favour this aperitif over the standard Lillet
vermouth, then he was also ingesting a sizeable slug of quinine along with
the pharmacopoeia of other herbs. Thus, the Ontario study may have
underestimated the medicinal power of a true Bond martini.

Mr Embury,
incidently, notes that when a martini is shaken, not stirred, it then
becomes a Bradford (2). One can see why Mr Bond preferred not to be too
correct.

1. Trethivick CC, Chartrand MM, Wahlman J, Rahman F, Hirst M,
Trevithick JR. Shaken, not stirred: bioanalytical study of the antioxidan
actvities of martinis. BMJ 1999; 319: 1600-1602.

2. Embury DA. The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks. Faber & Faber,
London, 1953.

3. Fleming I. Casino Royale. Jonathon Cape, London, 1953.

Professor C Bell

Head, Dept of Physiology

Director of Preclinical Studies, School of Medicine
Trinity College Dublin,
Dublin 2, Ireland

Competing interests: No competing interests

01 February 2000
C Bell