Espresso Martini Recipe

Chill glass

Place a martini/coupe glass in the freezer for at least 5 minutes to chill while you prepare the cocktail.

Combine ingredients

Add 2 oz Ketel One Vodka, 1 oz Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur, 1 oz Cherry Coffee Roasters Cold Brew, and 0.5 oz vanilla syrup into a cocktail shaker.

Add ice

Fill the shaker with ice (about 1 cup) so the liquid is well chilled and diluted slightly when shaken.

Dry shake (optional for froth)

If you want a thicker, foamier crema, seal the shaker and shake vigorously without ice for 10–15 seconds to emulsify the ingredients, particularly helpful if your vanilla is an extract or you skipped syrup.

Wet shake

Add ice if you dry-shook, or simply shake vigorously with the ice for 15–20 seconds until the outside of the shaker is very cold and slightly frosted. This aerates and chills the drink, producing a good crema on top.

Double strain and serve

Remove the chilled glass from the freezer. Double-strain the cocktail into the glass using both the shaker strainer and a fine mesh strainer to capture tiny ice shards and produce a smooth texture.

Garnish with three whole coffee beans placed in the center of the crema. Optionally express a lemon or orange peel over the drink and discard to add a subtle aromatic lift, or brush the rim lightly with vanilla syrup for extra sweetness.