Espresso martini
Vodka, coffee liqueur, fresh espresso and a little sugar syrup, shaken hard until it wears a thick foam.
- Time
- 6 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Glass
- Martini glass
- Strength
- 2 UK units
How to make an espresso martini
- Chill the glass. Put a martini glass in the freezer for 10 minutes, until it has a light frost.
- Make the espresso. Pull one shot of espresso and let it sit for about a minute. Fresh crema is what builds the foam, and boiling-hot coffee kills it.
- Shake hard. Add the espresso, vodka, coffee liqueur and syrup to a shaker packed with ice. Shake as hard as you can for 15 seconds, until the shaker is painfully cold.
- Double strain. Strain through the shaker strainer and a fine strainer into the chilled glass. A tan foam about 1 cm thick should settle on top.
- Garnish and serve. Place three coffee beans on the foam and serve straight away.
- Glass
- Martini glassNo martini glass? A coupe or a small stemmed glass.
- Ice
- No ice
- Garnish
- Three coffee beans on the foamOr: A light dusting of cocoa powder.
What you need to make an espresso martini
Kit
Cocktail shakerA two-piece Boston tin is the easiest to use and clean.
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
StrainerA Hawthorne strainer fits over the tin or glass.
Fine strainerA small tea strainer catches ice shards.
Bottles we'd use
- A dry coffee liqueurMr Black tastes of real coffee; Kahlúa is sweeter, so cut the syrup.Find it on Amazon
- A clean vodkaAnything smooth, such as Smirnoff or Absolut. The coffee does the talking.Find it on Amazon
- Espresso beansA medium roast with chocolate notes works better than a very light roast.Find it on Amazon
Links to Amazon are affiliate links: if you buy through them, Bar Bandol may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The espresso martini story
Dick Bradsell is credited with it. He made the first version at the Soho Brasserie in London in the 1980s, usually dated to 1983, when a customer asked for a drink that would wake her up. He first called it a Vodka Espresso, and it later became known as the Espresso Martini. The details come from the retelling, so treat the exact year as approximate.
The foam comes from the oils and crema in fresh espresso. Make the coffee just before you shake, use a lot of ice, and shake as hard as you can for 15 seconds. The air whipped in forms the foam. Old or instant coffee will not hold a head.
Espresso martini: your questions answered
What is in an espresso martini?
An espresso martini is made with 40 ml vodka, 20 ml coffee liqueur, 30 ml freshly made espresso and 5 ml sugar syrup. Garnish: three coffee beans on the foam.
Is an espresso martini shaken or stirred?
An espresso martini is shaken, not stirred. Shaking hard with ice chills it quickly and helps build the creamy foam on top, which stirring cannot do. Shake until the outside of the shaker feels very cold.
How strong is an espresso martini?
Made to this recipe, an espresso martini contains about 2 UK units of alcohol per drink. That is worked out from typical bottle strengths, so it changes with the bottles you use. UK guidelines advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week.
What glass do you serve an espresso martini in?
Serve an espresso martini in a martini glass. No martini glass? A coupe or a small stemmed glass.
