Espresso Martini Recipe

Brew espresso

Brew a shot of espresso (about 1 oz). Allow it to cool for 5–10 minutes until warm or room temperature. Using hot espresso will overly dilute the drink when shaking with ice.

Prepare blueberry purée (if not store-bought)

Place 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries in a small saucepan with 1 tbsp water and 1 tsp sugar. Cook over medium heat, mashing occasionally, until berries break down (3–5 minutes). Cool slightly, then strain through a fine mesh to remove skins and seeds. Measure 0.75 oz purée for the cocktail and reserve any extra for another use.

Combine ingredients

In a cocktail shaker, add ice (about 1 cup), 1.5 oz gin, 1 oz cooled espresso, 0.75 oz blueberry purée, 0.5 oz blue curaçao, 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice, 0.5 oz simple syrup, and 0.5 oz coffee liqueur (if using).

Dry shake (optional)

If you want extra froth, first secure the shaker without ice and shake vigorously for 8–10 seconds to emulsify the espresso and purée. This step improves foam and texture.

Shake with ice

Add ice to the shaker if you did the dry shake, or simply shake the filled shaker vigorously for 12–18 seconds until the exterior of the shaker is very cold and slightly frosted. This chills and dilutes the cocktail to the correct balance.

Double strain and serve

Double-strain the cocktail (through the shaker strainer and a fine mesh strainer) into a chilled martini or coupe glass to remove small ice shards and blueberry solids, producing a silky texture and clean appearance.

Thread 3 fresh blueberries on a cocktail pick and rest it across the rim of the glass, or float them on the surface. Optionally express a lemon twist over the drink to release oils and discard or drop the twist in as a fragrant accent.