Espresso Martini
Ingredients
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- 1 ounces espresso – freshly brewed, cooled slightly
- 2 ounces vodka
- 3/4 ounces coffee liqueur
- 1/4 ounces simple syrup – 1:1 sugar to water
- 1 1/2 cups ice – for shaking
- coffee beans – 3 beans (for garnish)
Instructions
1. Place a coupe or martini glass in the freezer to chill while you prepare the drink.
2. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice (about 1.5 cups). Brew espresso and let it cool 3–5 minutes until warm, then add vodka, coffee liqueur, simple syrup, and the espresso to the shaker.
3. Seal and shake vigorously until well-chilled and very foamy, 15–20 seconds; the shaker should feel icy cold.
4. Double-strain into the chilled glass, allowing a creamy head of foam to settle on top.
5. Garnish with coffee beans and serve immediately.
An espresso martini is a sleek, bittersweet cocktail that marries bracing espresso with smooth vodka and the rounded sweetness of coffee liqueur. Shaken hard with ice, it pours with a velvety crema-like foam, giving a lush texture that contrasts the drink’s crisp, cold bite. The flavor is coffee-forward, lightly sweet, and subtly boozy, making it a favorite both as an aperitif and an after-dinner pick-me-up.
Created in late-20th-century London, the drink is widely credited to bartender Dick Bradsell, who combined fresh espresso with vodka, coffee liqueur, and sugar syrup at the height of the city’s cocktail revival. It evolved from a simple caffeinated request into a modern classic enjoyed worldwide. The traditional three-coffee-bean garnish is often said to symbolize health, wealth, and happiness, cementing the cocktail’s bit of ritual and lore.