☕ Espresso Martini

The caffeinated cocktail that wakes you up while it gets you down

🥔 Modern Classic

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Brew espresso and let it cool slightly (hot espresso will melt ice too fast).
  2. Add vodka, Kahlúa, espresso, and simple syrup (if using) to a shaker.
  3. Fill with ice and shake HARD for 15-20 seconds – you need to create the foam.
  4. Double strain into a chilled martini glass.
  5. Garnish with three coffee beans on top of the foam.

Pro Tips

📜 History

Created by legendary bartender Dick Bradsell at Fred's Club in London in the late 1980s. A young model asked him for something to "wake me up and then f*** me up." Originally called the Vodka Espresso, then Pharmaceutical Stimulant.

☕ The Foam

The signature foam comes from shaking fresh espresso hard with ice. The crema in espresso creates stable foam. Without fresh espresso, the drink won't have the iconic look.

🫘 Three Beans

The three coffee beans traditionally represent health, wealth, and happiness – borrowed from Italian sambuca tradition.

⚡ Espresso Alternatives

If you don't have an espresso machine, use strong cold brew concentrate. Instant espresso powder dissolved in a little hot water also works. Avoid regular brewed coffee – too weak.

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