The Espresso Martini is three ingredients and one trick. Get the trick right and you get the thick, pale foam on top. Get it wrong and you get a flat, brown drink.
Where it comes from
The drink was invented in London in the late 1980s by bartender Dick Bradsell, who was asked for something that would "wake me up and then mess me up". Coffee, vodka and a little sweetness did exactly that.
The recipe (one drink)
- 50 ml vodka
- 25 ml coffee liqueur
- 30 ml freshly made espresso, cooled for a minute or two
- Ice, a chilled coupe glass and three coffee beans
The trick
The foam comes from the oils in a fresh espresso meeting air. So: use coffee that was made a minute ago, not yesterday's. Fill the shaker with plenty of ice, shake hard for about fifteen seconds, and strain straight into the chilled glass. Do not skip the ice and do not be gentle.
Small changes that help
- Too sweet? Use 20 ml of coffee liqueur instead of 25.
- Too bitter? Add a small spoon of sugar syrup.
- No espresso machine? Strong moka-pot coffee works. So does a good cold brew concentrate, though the foam is thinner.
Three beans
The three beans on top are traditionally said to stand for health, wealth and happiness. They also smell wonderful as you lift the glass.
One honest warning
This is a cocktail with caffeine in it. It is lovely after dinner, less lovely at midnight if you want to sleep. Make it your dessert, and make it slowly.
Zero-proof twin
Shake strong cooled espresso, a little sugar syrup and a splash of cold-brew tonic or vanilla syrup with ice. You still get the foam and the ritual, with no alcohol.
