The Espresso Martini, it's a product of the 1980’s and is widely credited to Dick Bradsell, a legendary bartender who is notable for the invention of dozens of cocktails. With a full shot of espresso and a drink and a half, plus being masked by coffee and sugar, it is the ultimate cocktail for when you need to keep the night rolling on.
Ingredients:
2 oz. Vodka (Preferably Vanilla)
1 oz. Kahlua
1 oz. Espresso (Or very strong brewed coffee)
Ice
Equipment:
Shaker set and strainer
(Pro hack: If you don’t have a shaker set and want a shaken cocktail, I’ve found that you can use a protein shaker as a quick substitute)
Super cool glass (preferably a Martini glass but a coup or a large wine glass also works great.
Steps:
In the shaker add the ice, vodka and Kahlua.
Add in the fresh espresso
Shake very hard
Proper shaking etiquette calls for one hand on top of the shaker and the other on bottom.
The shaker should go by your shoulder every shake.
Shake until the drink gets so cold that your hands get cold.
Usually I shake as hard as I can until I get tired or bored.
Strain into a martini glass.
The first note that you followed this recipe correctly is that you have froth on top of your espresso martini. Even if you don’t have Bailey’s or Frangelico or another sweet liqueur you should still have foam.
Why does this happen? Hot coffee, melting ice, and sugar in the liqueurs emulsify together to create a semi-stable froth on top. This works because the natural oils in an espresso shot cause an emulsification the same way that whipped cream does, it just needs some other help to work properly. If you let your drink sit too long in the ice, the martini won’t froth. If you don’t have enough liqueur it won’t froth. If you use cold espresso, it won’t work. Warm espresso will work but just won’t make as much foam.
Optional things you can do:
Add in Bailey’s
It might cause a bit of an uproar, but Bailey’s is an optional part to an espresso martini. If you are going to do it though, substitute out ½ oz. of Kahlua for the Bailey’s. (Unless you prefer it a little sweet, you can just add it in and don’t have to substitute)
Add in another type of sweet liquor
Amaretto
Godiva Chocolate
Frangelico
All of the above follow the same rules as Bailey’s. But with these you can make a Hazelnut Coffee Martini or a Mocha Martini.
Play around with the ratios. If you prefer it to have a bit of the traditional dry martini flavor, maybe cut down on the Kahlua and go up to a full 3 oz. Vodka. Recipes are just guidelines, there are very rules that you have to follow. It's okay if you want more Kahlua and Bailey’s and not as much vodka.
I recommend you tailor each cocktail recipe to fit your tastes. If you went to search for a recipe for a Martini there would be a mix of Gin and Vodka with no agreeing ratios of vermouth or olives or juice or lemon peel. Nobody can agree on what right, but that's okay. Make your drinks how you like it. Enjoy and happy drinking!
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