The very first Bond villain, Le Chiffre (“the cipher” in French) is a SMERSH operative Bond is sent to bankrupt at the baccarat table in Casino Royale. His true identity is cloaked in mystery. In his case file, his habits are defined as “mostly expensive, but discreet”, words which, alongside his northern French origins, form the inspiration for this cocktail. It is an invigorating Highball made with premium French ingredients and is as appropriate a pick-me-up as the Benzedrine inhaler Le Chiffre uses at the baccarat table. The drink certainly has an edge, with base notes from a double measure of Calvados enlivened by the spicy freshness of thyme liqueur, yellow Chartreuse and the tart sweetness of the cider. Lemon and honey round out the flavour but beware, like Le Chiffre’s hidden razor blades, this drink should be handled with care.
50ml (2fl oz) Calvados
15ml (½fl oz) lemon juice
15ml (½fl oz) honey
2 teaspoons yellow Chartreuse
1 teaspoon Bigallet Thym (or other thyme liqueur)
Cidre Breton (or other dry cider), to top up
TO GARNISH
honeycomb
Measure the ingredients, except the cider, into a cocktail shaker and top up with ice to the brim. Shake vigorously, then strain into a frosted Highball glass. Top up with cider, then garnish with a chunk of honeycomb.
LE CHIFFRE
Bond had just finished his sketchy summing-up of the players when Le Chiffre, with the silence and economy of movement of a big fish, came through the opening in the brass rail and, with a cold smile of welcome for the table, took his place directly opposite Bond in the banker’s chair.
CASINO ROYALE
CHAPTER 10. THE HIGH TABLE
Bond looked across. Le Chiffre was watching him. His eyes glittered back at Bond. His mouth was open and he was breathing fast. He was waiting, waiting for Bond’s hand to gesture to the croupier, or else for Bond suddenly to slump backwards in his chair, his face grimacing with a scream.
CASINO ROYALE
CHAPTER 12. THE DEADLY TUBE
His thick tongue came out slyly and licked a drop out of the corner of his red gash of a mouth. He looked at Bond’s cards, and then at his own, and then back at Bond’s.
Then his whole body shrugged and he slipped out a card for himself from the lisping shoe. He faced it. The table craned. It was a wonderful card, a five.
“Huit à la banque,” said the croupier.
As Bond sat silent, Le Chiffre suddenly grinned wolfishly. He must have won.
CASINO ROYALE
CHAPTER 13. “A WHISPER OF LOVE, A WHISPER OF HATE”
Le Chiffre pointed at the cane chair.
“That will do excellently,” he said to the thin man. “Prepare him quickly. If he resists, damage him only a little.”
He turned to Bond. There was no expression on his large face and his round eyes were uninterested. “Take off your clothes. For every effort to resist, Basil will break one of your fingers. We are serious people and your good health is of no interest to us. Whether you live or die depends on the outcome of the talk we are about to have.”
CASINO ROYALE
CHAPTER 17. “MY DEAR BOY”
Le Chiffre waited until the tortured heart eased down its laboured pumping and until Bond’s eyes dully opened again.
“Perhaps I should explain,” said Le Chiffre. “I intend to continue attacking the sensitive parts of your body until you answer my question. I am without mercy and there will be no relenting.”
CASINO ROYALE
CHAPTER 17. “MY DEAR BOY”
Le Chiffre’s aliases are “Mr Number”, “Herr Nummer”, “Herr Ziffer” and other variations on “The Number” or “The Cipher”.
The character of Le Chiffre was based on the Satanist Aleister Crowley. Known in the press as “the wickedest man in the world”, Crowley was a writer, painter and occultist Fleming met during the Second World War. When Hitler’s deputy Rudolf Hess parachuted into Scotland in 1941, Fleming suggested that Crowley might assist in the interrogation as Hess was well known to be superstitious. Crowley was eager to oblige but the department laughed off the suggestion and it never came to pass. Like Crowley, Le Chiffre refers to people as “dear boy”, he enjoys flagellation and sadism, and the whites of his eyes are completely visible around the irises.
The baccarat battle between Bond and Le Chiffre was inspired by a real-life incident. In 1941 Fleming and the Director of Naval Intelligence, Admiral John Godfrey, stopped in Lisbon en route to an Anglo–US intelligence meeting in Washington, DC. In the evening the two men headed to the Casino Estoril to enjoy a spot of gambling. Convinced that their opponents at the table were undercover Nazi agents, Fleming was determined to deal Germany a blow by clearing out the men’s coffers. Unfortunately, Fleming lost and left the table penniless, though rich in inspiration for his future novel.