Espresso Martini
A cold, dark, bittersweet cocktail under a thick tan foam, with three coffee beans floating on top. The foam is the drink, and it depends on one thing most home versions get wrong: the espresso has to be hot when it hits the ice.
At a glance
- Vodka : coffee : liqueur
- 5:3:2
- Active time
- 4 min
- Total time
- 5 min
- Makes
- 1 cocktail
- Serve
- Chilled, straight up
- Kit
- Shaker + espresso
Ingredients
Note: No espresso machine? A strong AeroPress or moka pot shot works, as long as it is hot. Cold brew concentrate makes a fine drink with a much thinner foam.
Method
-
Chill the glass
Put a coupe in the freezer for at least ten minutes, or fill it with ice and water while you work.
-
Everything but the coffee in the shaker
Fill the shaker two thirds with ice. Add the vodka, coffee liqueur and syrup.
-
Pull the shot and add it hot
Pull a single espresso and pour it into the shaker straight away, while it is still steaming. Seal the shaker.
This is the step that makes the foam. A shot left to go cold shakes up thin.
25 to 30 seconds -
Shake hard
Shake as hard as you can for fifteen seconds. The tin should be too cold to hold comfortably.
Hard is not a figure of speech. Shaking is what drives the air in.
Shake 15 seconds -
Double strain
Strain through the shaker's strainer and a fine mesh strainer into the chilled coupe. Let it settle for ten seconds, then lay three coffee beans on the foam.
The fine strainer catches ice shards, which pop the bubbles as they melt.
Why this works
The foam is espresso's crema rebuilt by force. Hot espresso carries emulsified coffee oils, proteins, melanoidins and dissolved carbon dioxide. Shaken hard with ice, the sudden drop in temperature firms the oils around the air being driven in, and the proteins and melanoidins stabilise the bubbles. Sugar from the liqueur and syrup thickens the liquid, which slows the foam draining. Use cold coffee and most of those oils have already separated and the gas has gone, so there is little left to build with. It is the same mechanism as a caffè shakerato.
The ratio balances three things. Vodka gives strength without flavour, so the coffee leads. Coffee liqueur adds sweetness, body and a second coffee note. Fresh espresso brings bitterness and acidity, which is what stops the drink tasting like a dessert. A little syrup is the adjustment: liqueurs vary enormously in sugar, so taste once and fix the syrup for your bottle.
Double straining matters more than it looks. Small shards of ice that pass through a normal strainer melt in the glass and break bubbles as they go. A fine mesh catches them and the foam lasts longer.
The drink is credited to Dick Bradsell, the London bartender, in the 1980s. The usual story is that a well-known model asked him for something that would wake her up and then do something less printable. He reached for vodka and the espresso machine beside him. It was served under several names, including the vodka espresso, before espresso martini stuck. It is now one of the most ordered cocktails in the world.
Variations
- Cold brew martini: 40 ml cold brew concentrate in place of the espresso. Smoother, less foam.
- Salted: a tiny pinch of salt in the shaker, which sharpens the coffee and cuts sweetness.
- With tequila: reposado tequila instead of vodka, a popular modern twist.
- Vanilla: vanilla syrup in place of simple syrup.
- Non-alcoholic: espresso, coffee syrup and a splash of non-alcoholic spirit or cold tea, shaken the same way.
A full-strength cocktail with a shot of espresso in it. The caffeine and the alcohol both arrive, which is part of the reputation. Not for drivers or anyone avoiding alcohol.
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Questions
How do you get a good foam on an espresso martini?
Use freshly pulled, hot espresso, add it straight to the ice, and shake as hard as you can for fifteen seconds. Double strain through a fine mesh sieve to catch ice shards.
Can I make an espresso martini with cold brew?
Yes, with about 40 ml of concentrate. It tastes smoother but the foam is much thinner, because cold brew lacks the oils and gas that hot espresso carries.
What is the best ratio for an espresso martini?
A good starting point is 50 ml vodka, 30 ml espresso and 20 ml coffee liqueur, with about 10 ml of syrup. Adjust the syrup to the sweetness of your liqueur.
Why are there three coffee beans on an espresso martini?
Tradition, borrowed from the Italian custom of serving sambuca with three beans. They are said to stand for health, wealth and happiness.
Who invented the espresso martini?
The London bartender Dick Bradsell, in the 1980s. It was originally served under other names, including the vodka espresso.