Espresso Martini Recipe

Brew and cool espresso

Brew a shot (about 1 oz) of fresh hot espresso. Set it aside for 1–2 minutes to cool slightly so it won't melt the ice immediately or overly dilute the drink. If you don't have an espresso machine, use very strong brewed coffee (concentrated) cooled to room temperature.

Chill the glass

Place a martini or coupe glass in the freezer for a few minutes or fill it with ice water while you prepare the cocktail to chill the glass.

Combine ingredients

In a cocktail shaker, add 1 cup of ice, the cooled 1 oz espresso, 1.5 oz Stoli Vanil, 1 oz Kahlúa, and 0.25 oz simple syrup if you prefer a slightly sweeter drink. Close the shaker tightly.

Dry shake (optional for foam)

If you want extra crema/foam on top, first shake the espresso, vodka, Kahlúa and simple syrup vigorously without ice (dry shake) for about 10 seconds to emulsify and create foam.

Wet shake

Add ice to the shaker if you performed a dry shake (or if you did not, simply shake now). Shake vigorously for 15–20 seconds until the outside of the shaker is very cold and slightly frosted. This chills the mixture and creates a silky texture.

Strain and layer cream

Discard the ice or water from the chilled glass. Using a fine strainer (or the shaker's built-in strainer), double-strain the cocktail into the chilled martini/coupe glass to remove small ice shards. Gently pour 0.5 oz heavy cream over the back of a spoon held just above the drink surface so the cream floats and creates a layered look and a creamy top. Alternatively, for a fully integrated cream, add the cream to the shaker with the other ingredients before wet shaking and strain into the glass.

Garnish and serve

Garnish with 3 coffee beans placed on the cream or on the surface of the cocktail. Serve immediately while cold and enjoy.