Let’s not forget one important thing: the James Bond movies are based on books by Ian Fleming, so it’s crucial to consider the source material when thinking about 007’s seemingly strange martini order. Another Redditor shared solid evidence from the novels that could give audiences another insight into why Bond prefers his martinis shaken.
As u/SavemoreTrout points out, James Bond drinks a lot in the books, and ordering his martinis shaken could have something to do with the fact that he consumes a lot of cheap, low-quality liquor. “He says he developed his drinking habits to deal with cheap, potentially unsafe vodka available in the field that he eventually learned to love,” they wrote. “The shaken vodka martini makes such vodka more palatable. He also sometimes puts pepper in vodka to — according to superstition — soak up the toxins in badly made liquor.”
Although Bond frequently orders upscale cocktails like Vespers — a take on a martini that combines gin, vodka, and a white wine cordial called Lillet blanc — he also drinks far more alcohol than is advisable for any one man, so the idea that he can only handle bad vodka by chilling it to an extreme point holds water (or vodka, as the case may be).
