Ingredients
Drink
- 50 mlvodka
- 30 mlfresh espresso, hot
- 20 mlcoffee liqueur
- 5 mlsugar syrup, optional
- plenty of hard ice
Garnish
- 3coffee beans
Directions
- Chill a coupe or martini glass thoroughly, in the freezer if you have room.
- Pull the espresso fresh and use it hot and immediately.
- Fresh hot espresso is what creates the foam. Cold or bottled coffee makes a drink that tastes broadly similar and never develops the head, and that head is the whole signature of it.
- Put the vodka, coffee liqueur, sugar syrup and the hot espresso into a shaker with plenty of hard ice.
- Shake very hard for a full 15 seconds, longer and harder than feels necessary.
- Double strain into the chilled glass through a fine sieve to keep out the ice shards.
- Let it stand for a few seconds and the foam will rise and settle into a pale even cap.
- Float three coffee beans on top, which is the traditional garnish and is said to stand for health, wealth and happiness.
- Serve immediately, because the foam falls within a few minutes.
- Dick Bradsell mixed the first one at the Soho Brasserie in London in 1983, for a customer who asked for something that would wake her up.
Technique
- The sugar is adjustable and worth adjusting. Coffee liqueurs vary enormously in sweetness.
- Hard ice, hard shake. Wet or small ice melts instead of aerating and you get a thin drink with no head.
- Bradsell also created the Bramble, which is elsewhere in this book.
Substitutions
- Strong moka pot coffee if you have no espresso machine, used equally hot.
- A good coffee liqueur is worth more here than a good vodka.
Variations
- With tequila or rum in place of vodka.
- With a dash of salted caramel or vanilla syrup.
- Made with cold brew and a little extra shaking, which is a genuine compromise rather than an improvement.
History
Dick Bradsell mixed it in London’s Soho Brasserie in 1983 for a customer who asked to be woken up.
Frequently asked questions
What is Espresso martini?
Espresso martini is a cocktail from United Kingdom: vodka, coffee liqueur and fresh espresso shaken to a foamy head. Dick Bradsell mixed it in London’s Soho Brasserie in 1983 for a customer who asked to be woken up.
How long does Espresso martini take to make?
Espresso martini takes 5 min of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes 1 drink. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Espresso martini?
Yes, within limits. Strong moka pot coffee if you have no espresso machine, used equally hot. A good coffee liqueur is worth more here than a good vodka.
What is the most important thing to get right in Espresso martini?
Fresh hot espresso is what creates the foam. Cold or bottled coffee makes a drink that tastes broadly similar and never develops the head, and that head is the whole signature of it.
