Restaurants›Carmine's Italian Restaurant - Las Vegas›Café Affogato Martini Recipe

Café Affogato Martini Recipe

Name: Carmine's Italian Restaurant - Las Vegas Café Affogato Martini Recipe
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 1 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 scoops vanilla ice cream; 1.5 oz Borghetti espresso liqueur; 0.5 oz Candolini grappa; 0.5 oz Sambuca (optional instead of grappa); 1 oz freshly brewed espresso (hot); 0.25 tsp simple syrup (optional, if additional sweetness desired); 2 pieces espresso beans (for garnish); 0.25 tsp grated dark chocolate or cocoa powder (optional garnish); 4 cubes ice (for shaking/mixing)

Inspired by Carmine's Italian Restaurant - Las Vegas

Time10m

Serves1

Vanilla Ice Cream, Borghetti Espresso Liqueur & Choice of a Splash of Candolini Grappa or Sambuca

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Ingredients

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Affogato Martini (per cocktail)

2 scoops vanilla ice cream1 1/2 oz Borghetti espresso liqueur1/2 oz Candolini grappa1/2 oz Sambuca (optional instead of grappa)1 oz freshly brewed espresso (hot)1/4 tsp simple syrup (optional, if additional sweetness desired)2 pieces espresso beans (for garnish)1/4 tsp grated dark chocolate or cocoa powder (optional garnish)4 cubes ice (for shaking/mixing)

Method

Affogato Martini Preparation

Chill glass

Place a martini or coupe glass in the freezer for 5–10 minutes or fill it with ice water while you prepare the cocktail to ensure the drink stays cold when served.

Prepare espresso

Brew 1 oz of fresh espresso. It should be hot and freshly pulled. If you cannot make espresso, use very strong brewed coffee and reduce temperature slightly.

Scoop ice cream into shaker

Place 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream into a cocktail shaker or a large mixing glass. If your shaker is small, use a sturdy mixing glass and a bar spoon.

Add liqueurs and optional sweetener

Pour 1.5 oz Borghetti espresso liqueur over the ice cream. Add 0.5 oz Candolini grappa for a grappa finish, or substitute 0.5 oz Sambuca if you prefer an anise-forward flavor. If you want extra sweetness, add 0.25 tsp simple syrup.

Add ice and shake/mix

Add 4 ice cubes to the shaker. Secure the lid and shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds to chill and slightly thin the ice cream so the drink becomes silky. If using a mixing glass, stir briskly for 20–30 seconds with a bar spoon until well blended and slightly chilled.

Strain into chilled glass

Discard the ice water from the chilled glass if used. Using a fine strainer or a Hawthorne strainer, pour the shaken mixture into the chilled martini/coupe glass. The texture should be thick and creamy but pourable.

Affogato finish

Immediately pour the hot 1 oz espresso over the back of a spoon held just above the surface of the cocktail so it gently 'affogato's' the ice cream mixture, creating streaks of coffee through the drink.

Garnish and serve

Garnish with 2 espresso beans on the surface and a light dusting of grated dark chocolate or 0.25 tsp cocoa powder. Serve immediately with a cocktail spoon or short straw so the drinker can enjoy the creamy ice-cream texture together with the liqueurs and espresso.