Espresso Martini
(Disclaimer: If you live in the United States, you must be 21 years of age or order to buy or drink alcohol). The Espresso Martini is the perfect dessert cocktail to relish after a delicious meal.
Does the espresso martini have coffee in it?
Oh, yes it does. Espresso Martinis have a nice serving of strong espresso. To add to that great coffee profile, Kahlua also contains coffee in it. For coffee lovers, it does’t get much better than this.
Espresso Martini Ingredients
According to the International Bartenders Association (IBA), the drink should include the following ingredients:
50 ml Vodka
30 ml Kahlúa
10 ml Sugar Syrup
1 strong Espresso
Vodka
Use a vodka you don’t mind drinking straight up. It’s a matter of personal preference. Because I was going for a sweeter cocktail, I used a vanilla flavored vodka.
Kahlua
Kahlua is a coffee flavored liquor.
Sugar Syrup
Sugar Syrup is known in the culinary world as Simple Syrup. You can buy it at the supermarket or make it yourself. Is is basically equal parts sugar and water that is reduced down to a syrup. If you have some sugar, you have what you need. Liquor.com has a basic recipe that works really well.
Espresso
Use a good espresso. Espresso has a more concentrated flavor than coffee. No one wants a watery drink, right?
You can make your own using an espresso machine, or do as I did and pick up a couple of shots from Starbucks.
You can let the espresso come to room temperature or even refrigerate it for a few hours before using it.
Espresso Martini No Kahlua
You can replace the Kahlua with another coffee flavored liquor. Another equally good choice, if you can find it, is the Tia Maria liquor.
What Makes an Espresso Martini Frothy?
The Espresso Martini almost looks like a glass of beer. The foam on top of a properly made espresso is called the crema.
There is much debate by top baristas on what makes a perfect crema. A good expert explanation can be found at Coffee or Bust. Simply put, it has to do with when CO2 combines with the natural oils in the espresso to make tiny bubbles.
You revitalize that foam when you vigorously shake all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker.
Directions: How to make the Espresso Martini
The Espresso Martini is one of the easiest cocktails to make. You pour the espresso, vodka, kahlua, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker, along with some ice. Then, shake away.
Strain your cocktail into a martini glass.
If you want, you can garnish with some coffee beans. This is the traditional way of decorating this drink. Or, if you are like me and don’t want to crunch into hard coffee beans, decorate with some ground coffee. It will look just as pretty.
Espresso Martini with ground coffee garish.
Enjoy!
More Dessert Cocktails
If you enjoyed this Espresso Martini and love dessert cocktails, try my:
Chocolate Drizzled Cherry Martini
Espresso Martini
Ingredients
- 50 ml Vodka (vanilla flavored vodka works really well)
- 30 ml Kahlua (the Kahlua can be replaced with another coffee flavored liquor such as Tia Maria)
- 10 ml Simple Syrup
- 1 Shot Espresso
Recipe Notes
Pour the espresso, vodka, kahlua, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker, along with some ice. Then, shake away.
Strain the cocktail into a martini glass.
If you want, you can garnish with some coffee beans or ground instant coffee.
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