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Drinks and Sips · Card DR07
Classic Espresso Martini
Vodka, coffee liqueur and freshly pulled espresso shaken hard enough to build a thin tan crema on top of a nearly black cocktail. It is bittersweet, cold and bracing, with a sprig of mint to add a fresh note on the nose. Shake one after dinner when coffee alone will not do.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 2 min
- Total
- 7 min
- Serves
- 1
- Level
- Medium
- Cuisine
- British
Method
Step 1: Chill a coupe glass in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.
Step 2: Pull the espresso into a small cup and let it stand for 1 to 2 minutes, just until it stops steaming hard, so it does not melt the ice too quickly.
Step 3: Add the vodka, coffee liqueur, simple syrup, salt and espresso to a shaker, then fill it with ice and seal tightly.
Step 4: Shake as hard as you can for 15 to 20 seconds, until the tin is painfully cold and you can hear the ice has broken into smaller pieces.
Step 5: Double strain through the shaker strainer and a fine mesh sieve into the chilled coupe, pouring from a little height so the foam gathers in the center.
Step 6: Wait about 30 seconds for the crema to settle into an even layer, then rest the mint sprig on top and add a short black straw if you like.
Kitchen note
Espresso carries oils and dissolved gases that trap air when shaken violently, which is where the crema comes from; stale or long-cooled coffee will not foam nearly as well.
Easy swap
For a zero-proof version, shake 1 1/2 oz espresso with 1 oz cold brew concentrate and 1/2 oz demerara syrup; it foams just as nicely.
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