Espresso Martini
ClassicIBA OfficialVodka, coffee, and a second wind.
Rich, roasty, and bittersweet, with a silky crema that only a hard shake delivers. Fresh espresso leads with dark-chocolate bitterness and a lingering coffee depth; vodka keeps it clean and cold; coffee liqueur and a whisper of sugar round the edges. Indulgent but never cloying — dessert and a double shot in one glass.
Ingredients
- 2 oz Vodka
- 1 oz Coffee Liqueur
- 1 oz Espresso
- 0.5 oz Simple Syrup
- Three coffee beans · optional garnish
Method
- 1
Add the vodka, coffee liqueur, espresso, and simple syrup to a shaker with ice.
- 2
Shake hard until well-chilled and frothy, about 15 seconds.
- 3
Double-strain into a chilled martini glass.
- 4
Float three coffee beans on the crema.
The Story
The Espresso Martini was born in late-1980s London, the work of legendary bartender Dick Bradsell. As the story goes, a model at the bar asked for something that would "wake me up, then mess me up," and Bradsell — with an espresso machine conveniently beside his station — answered with vodka, coffee liqueur, and a fresh shot of espresso. He first called it the Vodka Espresso; the sleeker name came later, as did its status as the definitive after-dinner pick-me-up. A modern classic that turned coffee into a cocktail.
Recipe card
The whole recipe in one shareable image.
