Espresso Martini

The frothy head appears when the oils from the coffee and C02 are emulsified through shaking, generating a beautiful crema on top, though we’re sure a bit of the sugar from the Kahlúa helps too. Bear in mind that there are a few more things that factor in to succeed with a great foam. Shake vigorously and use good clear ice. This allows you to shake for a longer time and really work up that froth without diluting the drink too fast. Dilution comes from when the ice slowly melts into your drink, which is a good thing because it is when the ice goes from solid form to liquid form it actually is chilling your cocktail too. But If you use what we’d refer to as “shitty” ice like nuggets or pebbles when shaking your drink it’ll dilute your drink too fast and you’ll most likely end up with a flat, watery Espresso Martini.

Conclusion; bigger and better ice slows down the dilution which means you can shake a bit longer to gain that rich crema and froth.

The biggest mistake is to not shake it vigorously enough, and that goes for any shaken cocktail but especially the Espresso Martini since we know you’d love to get that crema and frothy head on your drink. Be sure to use good solid full ice cubes rather than nuggets or pebbles.

Also, don’t be afraid to play around with measures to find the right recipe for you., An easy way to start is to use equal parts of each ingredient and then navigate from there, adjusting the ratios to your liking to find out if you prefer a more potent character, more or less sweetness or maybe a boosted espresso profile.

Another recommendation that goes for any cocktail is to pre chill your stemmed glasses in a freezer before you pour it, keeping it crisp and cool all the way through to the final sip.

We believe a great quality Vodka such as Absolut is best suited to accompany the rich Kahlúa and intense espresso to create a perfect balance between our complex vodka, the nectar sweetness of the liqueur and the astringency and pleasant bitterness from the coffee.

Just like the name indicates, it sure does. Now the world of coffee is huge and character can vary a lot depending on type of beans, medium or dark roast and even on what kind of machine you’re using for your espresso. We could go on and on talking bars of pressure, vibration pumps vs. rotary pumps for home machines. But to keep it simple we like a dark roast on a higher scale of intensity if you are using a standard compact espresso machine at home.

Preferably yes! But in the end it all comes down to how long ago you brewed that espresso you’ll be using, as any fresh foods or freshly prepared beverages will change with time. Though if you would pre-batch let’s say 10 Espresso Martinis for an upcoming party that won’t be a problem. Just as for freshly squeezed juices it would last overnight in a fridge until it’s time to shake them up for your guests.

Originally Vodka of great quality, we naturally (literally) choose Absolut Vodka for its rich character with hints of caramel and vanilla that carries this drink beautifully. Purists as we are, we go for Kahlúa as that’s the coffee liqueur it originally was made with. With that said you could have cracking fun with the Espresso Martini by playing around Absolut’s different range of flavours, The obvious being Absolut Vanilia, but let us secretly “spill out” that an Absolut Grapefruit Espresso Martini is just remarkably delicious, likewise with Absolut Peppar that will give it an extra kick in character with its peppery notes.

If you like coffee, a well made Espresso Martini will satisfy so many senses if not all of them. Just the sound and rhythm of the ice chilling your drink as it’s vigorously shaken, the mesmerising sight of the freshly poured drink slowly setting, the smell and taste of the perfect balance of sweet and dry where all ingredients are enhanced by the vodka and finally the mouthfeel and the silky thick foam on top.