Espresso Martini Recipe

If you're a bit of a booze nerd like us, then you might have noticed a lot of media signifying the Espresso Martini as making a comeback. We're wondering, did it ever leave? This iconic cocktail, along with other flavoured martinis was at peak popularity in the 90s, but it remains a staple order at many cocktail bars.

This coffee-and-vodka cocktail has a storied, but disputed, history. According to mixologist lore, in the 1980s, a model walked into Fred’s Club in London and asked iconic bartender for a drink to “wake me up, then f-ck me up.” It caught on and enjoyed its heyday in the ’90s, A.K.A. the martini era—a time when any vodka drink in a V-shaped glass could be ‘tinified (remember the Appletini?).

While the espresso martini never truly disappeared, it began trending again in the 2020s. Like a grown-up iced coffee, the perpetually popular cocktail features vodka, coffee and coffee liquor. It’s like everyone wants to “wake up and get messed up” at the moment!

Serves: 2

Prep time: 2 Minutes

Nutrition: 230 Calories 

Ingredients

• 100ml Vodka
• 50ml freshly brewed espresso coffee
• 50ml coffee liqueur
• 4 coffee beans (optional)
• 1 tbsp sugar syrup
• Ice

Method

1. Pour sugar syrup into a cocktail shaker along with ice, the vodka, espresso and coffee liqueur. Shake until the outside of the cocktail shaker feels icy cold.
2. Strain into the chilled glasses. Garnish each one with coffee beans and enjoy.

Category: Drinks Cuisine: Cocktail