Average
Bold & Sweet
5 Minutes
Cocktail Glass
Ingredients
The Espresso Martini is a shaken cocktail made with vodka, coffee liqueur and freshly pulled espresso, fine strained into a chilled martini glass and garnished with three coffee beans. The signature foam on top is a natural result of shaking the espresso vigorously with ice – not an added ingredient.
It’s a cocktail as iconic as it is sophisticated. Created by a late legendary London bartender in 1983, the Espresso Martini has become one of the most popular cocktails in the world.
By 2022 it had overtaken the Mojito and Margarita as the most searched cocktail globally. Made with vodka, espresso and coffee liqueur, it’s the definitive after-dinner cocktail – bold, coffee-forward and finished with a signature silky foam.
The recipe below walks through every step to make the perfect Espresso Martini at home.
How To Make an ESPRESSO MARTINI COCKTAIL
Bar tools you’ll need
Fine Strainer
Jigger
Boston Shaker
Hawthorne Strainer
How to Mix
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Use your preferred coffee machine to produce Fresh Brewed Espresso. Let cool slightly.
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Measure and pour the Fresh Brewed Espresso into the smaller tin of a Boston shaker.
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Measure and add Kahlúa, followed by Absolut Vodka.
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Add ice cubes all the way to the top of the smaller tin of your shaker.
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Connect the large and small tins together and shake until the tins are frosty on the outside.
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Separate the tins, place a Hawthorne strainer over the larger tin of your shaker, and in your other hand, hold a fine mesh strainer over a chilled martini glass.
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Pour the cocktail through both strainers into the glass.
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Garnish with 3 coffee beans.
All about the Espresso Martini
The Espresso Martini, also known as a Vodka Espresso, is a shaken cocktail that mixes espresso with the smooth texture of coffee liqueur and vodka –fine strained into a chilled martini glass and garnished with three coffee beans.
Bold, rich and unmistakably coffee-forward, the signature foam comes from the shaking process itself – emulsifying the espresso’s natural crema into a silky head that sits on top of the drink. It’s one of the most ordered cocktails in the world for good reason.
An Espresso Martini offers bold, rich notes of coffee with indulgent sweetness from coffee liqueur and the smooth taste of Absolut Vodka.
“The Absolut Vodka comes straight through, amplifying the espresso’s bitterness and sharpening the Kahlúa’s sweetness,” describes Ricardo ‘Rico’ Dynan, Bartender and Absolut Global Brand Ambassador. “The Kahlúa adds a rich chocolate-coffee note that rounds out the drink.”
Hedda Bruce, General Manager from award-winning bar and restaurant Tjoget in Stockholm, Sweden, shares “There’s the sweet flavor of coffee together with Absolut Vodka, which balances very well together”.
The Espresso Martini cocktail was born as a result of an off-the-cuff lightbulb moment by the pioneering and now late but legendary bartender Dick Bradsell, who also invented the Bramble, the Treacle and the Russian Spring Punch.
The Espresso Martini’s origin is documented by Michael Bergström, Drinks Expert from Bartenders’ Choice Awards: “The story goes that in the mid-80s a supermodel walked up to a legendary bartender in London and asked him for a drink in a manner we can’t repeat here. The bartender swiftly pulled a fresh espresso from the newly installed coffee machine in the bar and mixed it with vodka, coffee liqueur and a touch of sugar. He then gave it a good shake and strained it into a martini glass, and, just like that, a modern classic was born.”
While many Espresso Martini recipes call for simple syrup to balance the bitterness of the espresso, we use Kahlúa (coffee liqueur) – its sweetness does that work without the need for an additional sweetener.
Fast forward to today, the vodka Espresso Martini has surpassed drinks such as the Mojito and Margarita in terms of fame and recognition.
- Shake it properly
To make the perfect Espresso Martini drink you’ll need a cocktail shaker – and you’ll need to fill it all the way to the top with ice. Once you’ve finished shaking, you should have lots of froth and see big bubbles in your shaker.
If you don’t have a frothy floating foam after pouring, you need to shake it harder and longer. “You always know that you’ve shaken it well when you get this type of gradiation – like a good Stout, really,” says Rico. - Use large ice cubes in your shaker
The key to a silky-smooth Espresso Martini is big ice cubes. These help to chill your ingredients as much as possible without causing too much dilution. Some dilution is a good thing – when the ice goes from solid form to liquid it chills your cocktail in the process. “But if you use small nuggets of ice, or crushed ice, it will dilute your drink too fast and you’ll most likely end up with a flat, watery Espresso Martini,” warns Michael. - Double strain your Espresso Martini
When pouring the liquid from your cocktail shaker into your glass, we recommend double straining, using a Hawthorne strainer in the cocktail shaker and a fine strainer over the glass. This is to make sure you end up with a silky-smooth drink free of any ice shards. Learn how to double strain a cocktail. - Find the right balance
Don’t be afraid to play around with measures to find the right Espresso Martini recipe for your tastes. 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. - Choose quality espresso
The quality of the coffee will determine the quality of your Espresso Martini cocktail. Make sure you use fresh espresso – from any type of machine, be it a manual espresso maker or stovetop coffee maker. The right grind and extraction are key for a rich, flavorful cocktail. Coffee pods also work exceptionally well.
“There are a number of different pods on the market, all with different character and intensity. We prefer quite a high intensity pod for ours. But by all means, feel free to experiment with cold brew or regular filter coffee for a less intense profile” shares Michael.
Espresso Martini Ingredient Substitutions
- No Kahlúa? Use 25ml of strong espresso and a tablespoon of brown sugar as a substitute. It won’t have the same coffee liqueur depth, but it will keep the drink balanced.
- No espresso machine? Cold brew concentrate works well. Use it undiluted at a 1:4 ratio. It’s less acidic than espresso, so reduce the Kahlúa slightly to maintain balance. Instant coffee dissolved in a small amount of hot water and chilled is another option, though it won’t produce the same crema.
- No vodka? White rum gives the drink a Cuban-inspired character with a slightly sweeter finish – a variation worth trying in its own right.
- Virgin Espresso
An Espresso Martini without alcohol works just as well. A bold blend of cold espresso coffee, vanilla syrup, and water delivers a powerful caffeine kick and a jolt of sophistication. Discover how to make a Virgin Espresso Martini. - Vanilla Espresso Martini
This is one of Rico’s personal Espresso Martini recipe favorites and, trust us, one of the best you’ll find. Think warm vanilla with a creamy and pillowy coffee foam. Try the Vanilla Espresso Martini for yourself. - Espresso Martini Jelly Shot
Gotta a party coming up? Then, you’ve got to serve these. Made with vodka, coffee liqueur, cream, coffee, held together by gelatin, it’s a twist on the Espresso Martini like you’ve never had before! Check out the recipe for an Espresso Martini Jelly Shot. - Espresso Martini Shot
If you really want to impress your guests at your next party, serve them an Espresso Martini Shot. Simply follow the recipe on this page and pour the cocktail into two shot glasses to make two individual shots. It’s the creamiest and smoothest espresso shot you’ll ever have! Watch Rico show you how to make an Espresso Martini Shot.
- Grapefruit Espresso Martini
Grapefruit and coffee?! What might seem like an unlikely combination is a beautifully unique pairing. Just take our word for it! Follow the recipe on this page but swap Absolut Vodka for Absolut Grapefruit – our grapefruit-flavored vodka. - Espresso Martini with Pepper-Flavored Vodka
Coffee, spice and all things nice. Swap original Absolut Vodka for Absolut Peppar (pepper-flavored vodka )and you get the smoothness of the classic Espresso Martini but with a unique peppery bite. It’s incredible!
Now that you’ve put time and effort into getting your vodka Espresso Martini recipe just right, it all comes down to the final presentation. Try these and see how yours comes out!
- Chill your martini glass
Michael Bergström suggests you “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”. And this is especially true for the indulgent Espresso Martini. - One or three coffee beans
An Espresso Martini is traditionally garnished with three coffee beans, gently placed on top of the drink’s creamy head. As Hedda demonstrates in the video, you can also crush a single coffee bean with your thumb and then sprinkle it on top of your drink. - A martini glass…or a coffee mug
“As the name suggests, the Espresso Martini is served in a martini glass or stemmed cocktail glass, but you can definitely use whatever glass you have at hand. Why not a short glass over ice?”, suggests Michael.Similarly, Rico says, “If you don’t have a martini glass, just make it in a rocks glass or make it in a coffee mug if you want. It doesn’t matter ‘cause it’s your drink and it’s how you want to drink it at home.”
Perfection. The preferred drink of London supermodels and my preferred drink at brunch.
Bartender and Global Brand Ambassador
Espresso Martini FAQ
A classic Espresso Martini is made with vodka, coffee liqueur, and fresh espresso.
One sip and you’ll understand why! Espresso Martinis are bold, rich and sweet. They’re elegant and sophisticated and yet they’re easy to make.
The frothy head on an Espresso Martini cocktail appears when the oils from the coffee and CO₂ are emulsified through shaking, generating a beautiful crema on top. The sugar from the Kahlúa probably helps too. Shake vigorously and use good clear Ice to further help create foam. This allows you to shake for a longer time and really work up that froth without diluting the drink too fast.
While it provides a smooth, velvety finish, you don’t need coffee liqueur for an Espresso Martini – it’s possible to create a delicious drink without it. You can use strong coffee – preferably fresh espresso – combined with up to two tablespoons of brown sugar.
You can also use simple syrup, but it’s important not to go overboard with sweetness. It’s the balance of flavors that make an Espresso Martini cocktail such a sophisticated drink. Try two parts vodka, one part espresso and ½ part sugar syrup.
Yes, an Espresso Martini contains coffee.
The world of coffee is huge, and its character can vary a lot depending on the type of beans, medium or dark roast and even on what kind of machine you’re using for your espresso. To keep things 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 it. As with any fresh foods or freshly prepared beverages, it will change with time. If you pre-batch, let’s say, 10 Espresso Martinis for a party, that won’t be a problem. Just like freshly squeezed juices, it would last overnight in a fridge until it’s time to shake them up for your guests.
Want to use instant coffee in your Espresso Martini recipe? Just make sure you shake it all up really, really hard.
Firstly, there’s Vodka, which has to be of great quality. Therefore, we’d naturally choose Absolut Vodka. Next – purists as we are – we go for Kahlúa as that’s the Coffee Liqueur it originally was made with. However, with that said you could have great fun with the Espresso Martini by playing around Absolut’s different range of flavors.
“If you like coffee, a well-made Espresso Martini will satisfy so many senses – if not all of them,” shares Michael Bergström, Drinks Expert from Bartender’s Choice Awards.
“Just the sound and rhythm of the ice chilling your drink as it’s vigorously shaken, the mesmerizing 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,” he adds.
An Espresso Martini is traditionally garnished with three coffee beans, gently placed on top of the drink’s creamy head. According to Michael Bergström, Drinks Expert from Bartender’s Choice Awards, the three coffee beans symbolize health, wealth, and happiness.
The classic starting point is equal parts vodka, espresso and coffee liqueur – a 1:1:1 ratio that produces a balanced, coffee-forward drink.
Our Espresso Martini recipe on this page uses a 2:1:1 ratio (45ml vodka, 25ml Kahlúa, 25ml espresso), weighting toward vodka for a drier, more spirit-forward result.
Neither is wrong – it all comes down to taste. Start with 1:1:1 if you prefer something sweeter and more coffee-forward, and adjust from there until you find your preferred balance.
