Create the perfect Espresso Martini with this simple and delicious recipe! Made with Kahlua, vodka and freshly brewed espresso, it's the ultimate boozy pick-me-up.
The Espresso Martini was born in the early '80s when London bartender Dick Bradsell crafted it for a famous model who walked into the Soho Brasserie where he worked and asked for something that would "wake me up."
We're not complaining - it's one of our favourite 3-ingredient cocktails to make on a Friday night, just like this Tommy's Margarita.
What does an Espresso Martini taste like?
The Espresso Martini has a rich, slightly bitter coffee flavour balanced with just the right amount of sweetness. The best part is the velvety foam topping, which is sturdy enough to hold a few coffee beans as garnish without letting them sink.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Bold Coffee Flavour: It's like your favourite coffee with a kick and is perfectly balanced with a hint of sweetness.
- Stylish: Its velvety foam and coffee bean garnish look as good as it tastes!
- 3-ingredients: We're a big fan of making simple cocktails without requiring many ingredients.
Recipe Ingredients
Note: The full quantities are shown in the recipe card below.
- Kahlua - Kahlua is a coffee liqueur made with 100% Arabica coffee beans. Other brands of coffee liqueur exist, such as Mr Black.
- Vodka - vodka is traditionally used to make an Espresso Martini. Other versions can contain gin or rum.
- Freshly brewed hot espresso - opinions will vary, but hot espresso creates a lovely velvety foam topping. We use a pod machine to make decaf espresso and our Breville coffee machine to make caffeinated espresso.
How to Make an Espresso Martini
Note: This is a summary of the instructions. The full ingredients and instructions are shown in the recipe card below.
- Gather all the ingredients together and get the cocktail shaker, measurer and ice ready.
- Add the Kahlua, vodka and hot espresso to the cocktail shaker. Quickly add the ice and shake vigorously for 20 seconds!
- Strain into a martini or coupe glass.
- Garnish with 3 coffee beans and enjoy immediately.
Top Tip
Using freshly brewed hot espresso ensures the lovely velvety crema on top, robust enough to hold the coffee beans.
Recipe Substitutions
- Kahlua: Kahlua can be substituted for Bailey's Irish Cream. The coffee taste will be less intense but will be creamier. You could also use Frangelico.
- Vodka: Vodka can be substituted for rum or gin.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe makes one Espresso Martini but can be doubled to make two. Tap or hover on the servings in the recipe card. I don't recommend making more than two at a time in the cocktail shaker.
Common Questions
Yes, you could use Bailey's Irish Cream, Frangelico or Mr Black cold brew coffee liqueur.
This could occur if the coffee beans are stale or if the hot espresso cooled down before shaking. To achieve foam, you could always add a little egg white to the cocktail shaker before shaking.
If you don't have a coffee machine, you can make an Espresso Martini with cold brew or instant coffee. It doesn't taste nearly as lovely, though.
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📖 Recipe
Espresso Martini
Equipment
- cocktail shaker
- jigger (measurer)
Ingredients
- 45 ml vodka, note 1
- 30 ml Kahlua, note 2
- 30 ml freshly brewed hot espresso, note 3
- small handful of ice cubes
- 3 coffee beans for decoration, optional
Instructions
- Pour the vodka, Kahlua and freshly brewed hot espresso into a cocktail shaker. Add a little ice and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. See the notes below on achieving the best velvety foam topping.
- Strain into a martini or coupe glass. Garnish with three coffee beans and enjoy!
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