How to make the perfect Espresso Martini

Nothing says an evening of elegance and class like an Espresso Martini, unless you have had one too many and you are looking blindly for a caffeine pick me up. They are the perfect blend of alcohol, coffee and a little hint of sweetness which makes it the perfect post-meal cocktail, pre-meal cocktail, or even a 2pm cocktail, because it's 5 o’clock somewhere right?

If you are looking to recreate this masterpiece you love from your favourite bar at home, look no further than our ultimate Espresso Martini recipe.   

This recipe serves one, so double, triple or quadruple the quantities when friends come over, (or if you fancy more than one yourself!). If you are planning on making a few, we would advise only making two at a time in your shaker - as you need enough room for plenty of ice and its signature foam to develop. 

Ingredients: 

25ml Vodka 

25ml Coffee Liqueur - We like Kahlua 

50ml Coffee - Freshly poured is best, but the instant stuff will do just fine 

25ml Simple Sugar Syrup (You can find bottles of this at many supermarkets or, to make your own: Place sugar and water, with a ratio of 2:1, over a low heat on the hob until all the sugar has dissolved)

Ice 

Utensils:

Cocktail Shaker - If you don’t have one, a thermos flask would also work.

Strainer 

Martini Glass 

Method: 

• Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with lots of ice - more ice than you think you would need.

• Add the lid and then shake vigorously, until the shaker feels very cold to the touch and your arms start to ache. 

• Remove the lid and strain into your martini glass - you should have a delicious looking golden crema (foam) on top as you pour. If not, replace the lid and shake some more until you do.

• Garnish with a few coffee beans, or a light dusting of chocolate powder, or don’t bother because it probably won’t last that long. 

• Sit back smugly and enjoy. 

Now you have the ultimate recipe perfected, why not try something a little different?

Variations: 

Chocolate Espresso Martini: Replace the coffee liqueur with chocolate liqueur.

Vanilla Espresso Martini: Use vanilla vodka rather than regular. 

Baileys Espresso Martini: Replace coffee liqueur with 1.5 shots of Baileys (1 shot= 25ml).

Salted Caramel Espresso Martini: Add 1.5 shots of caramel syrup, a pinch of sea salt and reduce the regular sugar syrup to only a ‘dash’. 

May your martini endeavours always be successful, and your cocktail glass never be empty.