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The Espresso Martini is every coffee lover’s dream coffee. The rich texture and the perfect blend of strong and sweet flavor profiles make for a decadent after-dinner drink, or to get the party started at social gatherings.
This recipe will show you how to make an Espresso Martini the authentic way, so you can enjoy it at home, not just at the bar.
What is Espresso Martini?
The Espresso Martini is a rich, indulgent drink made with a unique mix of coffee liqueur, vodka, and espresso. The beverage gets its lavish texture from the bizarre combination of coffee and vodka.
The Espresso Martini is truly the perfect way to boost your energy in style. After a long day, the espresso shot in the drink gives you a fair dose of caffeine.
The rich blend of textures and flavors is enough to satiate your craving for coffee and dessert in one go. In fact, the drink is so popular that coffee lovers celebrate National Espresso Martini Day on March 15th.
Origin: Who Invented the Espresso Martini?
The history of this beloved drink is relatively short. However, the credit for its invention goes to a bartender in London, Dick Bradsell.
This bartender guru has been the subject of praise for bringing a revolution to London’s co*cktail scene. Apart from this drink, Bradsell also holds the honor of creating the likes of The Player, Match, 6 Degrees, and classics like the Bramble.
The Espresso Martini came into being during the early eighties. Originally named the Vodka Espresso and later called the Pharmaceutical Stimulant, legend has it that Dick invented this modern-day classic when Kate Moss, a famous model, walked into his workplace at the Soho Brasserie.
According to Dick, Kate asked him for a drink to “wake me up.” And well, what better combination than coffee, sugar, and vodka to create a drink strong enough to shake the human brain awake?
Dick mixed vodka with fresh espresso, sugar syrup, and two types of coffee liqueur and shook these ingredients to create an addicting, creamy, bittersweet mix.
Then, he served the now world-classic drink in a V-shaped glass, aka Martini glass. As all beverages served in V-shaped glasses were called martinis, this compelled Dick to name the drink the Espresso Martini.
Classic Espresso Martini Recipe
This rich, sweet beverage is a magnificent drink that is incredibly easy to make, even if you’re short on time. The drink requires 5 minutes prep time and 5 minutes to cook and cool.
Though many people like to modify the recipe to make their own versions, my favorite is the original recipe.
How to Make Espresso Martini: The Complete Recipe
Here is how to make an authentic Espresso Martini.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Total Time 5 minutes mins
Course Recipes
Servings 1 servings
Calories 258 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp sugar syrup
- 60 ml vodka
- 30 ml coffee liqueur
- 1 shot espresso
- 250 ml ice
- 3 pieces coffee beans (garnish)
Instructions
Homemade sugar syrup
Put the 100g of sugar in a pan and place it on the stove at medium heat.
Add 50ml of water, and let the mixture come to a boil.
Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.
co*cktail
Chill your martini glasses in the refrigerator.
Fill a co*cktail shaker with ice, and add 1 tbsp sugar syrup, the vodka, espresso, and coffee liqueur.
Shake.
Strain the drink into a chilled V-shaped co*cktail glass.
Put three espresso beans on top.
Video
Notes
To get crema on top of your drink, you need to use freshly brewed espresso.
Here are the details in full.
For the Sugar Syrup:
- Sugar 100g + water if you want to make it at home quickly, or you can use simple syrup from the store.
For the co*cktail
- Ice cubes
- Vodka – 60ml (Grey Goose or Absolute vodka)
- Freshly brewed espresso freshly brewed – 30ml (can be replaced by cold brew concentrate, or even instant coffee)
- Coffee liqueur – 30 ml (the original recipe uses Kahlua, but Tia Maria is a less-sweet liqueur if you like)
- 3 coffee beans (for garnish)
How to Make Espresso Martini
You can wow your guests by serving them this rich, delicious drink made in these simple, easy-to-follow steps:
- First, make the sugar syrup. Put the 100g of golden castor sugar in a pan and place it on the stove at medium heat. Add 50ml of water, and let the mixture come to a boil.
- Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool. In the meantime, chill your martini glasses in the refrigerator.
- Once the sugar syrup has cooled, fill your co*cktail shaker with ice, pour one tablespoon sugar syrup, into it, and add the vodka, fresh espresso, and coffee liqueur. Now shake until the shaker becomes icy cold on the outside.
- Strain the drink into a chilled V-shaped co*cktail glass.
- Put three espresso beans on top of the frothy layer as garnish.
How to Serve Espresso Martini
The Espresso Martini should be served in a V-shaped glass, also known as a martini glass.
The drink can be served as a desert in itself, but it also makes a perfect companion for desserts after having a big meal for dinner. You can serve this addicting, easy-to-drink beverage with caramel popcorn, a platter of chocolate, or chocolate-covered strawberries. I’ve had it with chocolate cake as well, chocolate pairs wonderfully with coffee.
If you wish to go all out as a coffee lover, you can also serve it with Tiramisu.
Tips and Tricks
A few cool tips and tricks that can help you elevate the flavor of this delicious beverage are:
- After brewing the coffee, allow it to cool so that it does not melt the ice and dilute the flavor of the drink. You can even put the coffee in a freezer for some time to cool it quickly.
- Put in some effort to shake the co*cktail shaker extra hard to create a creamy foam on top.
- Be swift while pouring the coffee co*cktail into the chilled glasses to ensure the foam floats on the top.
- You can use bottled sugar syrup instead of making your own.
- You can prepare the ingredients in advance and keep them in the fridge. Then, shake the ingredients together when ready to serve drinks.
FAQs
You can get a nice, creamy froth on top by brewing your espresso in an espresso machine. But what if you don’t have a coffee machine? Worry not, you can add egg white to the ingredients and mix them really well. While the egg white does not interfere with the flavor and texture of the drink, it creates a frothy cream layer on top.
It is a tradition to garnish the Espresso Martini with three coffee beans. The co*cktail’s trademark comes from Sambuca, Italy’s traditions, which are said to represent:
– health,
– wealth,
– happiness.
Freshly brewed strong coffee from an espresso maker works best, but you have other options as well. Try using a cold brew concentrate which you can make at home or pick up at any supermarket. Check out these ways of making espresso.
The Espresso Martini is a classic drink from London and is popular worldwide, not only among coffee lovers. I hope you will try this authentic recipe and enjoy sipping this flavorful co*cktail tonight. It is easy to make, yet it still offers a rich flavor profile.
Let me know how it goes in a comment below!
