Espresso Martini Recipe

Chill glass

Place a coupe or martini glass in the freezer for at least 5 minutes or fill it with ice water while you prepare the cocktail to ensure the final drink is cold.

Brew espresso

Brew a fresh shot (about 1 oz) of espresso. If it's piping hot, let it cool for 1–2 minutes; warm espresso can melt ice quickly and dilute the cocktail too much. Alternatively use 1 oz cold brew concentrate.

Combine ingredients

In a cocktail shaker, add 1 cup of cubed ice, 2 oz vodka, 1 oz coffee liqueur, 1 oz espresso, and 0.5 oz simple syrup. If using optional bitters or vanilla syrup, add them now (2 dashes bitters or 0.5 oz vanilla syrup).

Dry shake (optional)

For a richer, frothier crema, first shake the ingredients without ice for 8–10 seconds (dry shake). This helps emulsify the espresso and creates foam.

Shake with ice

Add ice if you dry-shook, or if you didn't dry-shake, proceed to shake now. Seal the shaker and shake vigorously for 12–18 seconds until the outside of the shaker is very cold and you see a good froth forming.

Strain

Discard ice or water from the chilled glass. Double-strain the cocktail into the chilled coupe or martini glass using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer to catch small ice chips and create a smooth surface with a creamy foam top.

Garnish

Carefully place 3 whole coffee beans spaced across the foam as a traditional garnish. If desired, add a light dusting of finely grated dark chocolate or a few drops of chocolate bitters on the foam for aroma.

Serve

Serve immediately while cold and the foam is fresh.

For a sweeter vanilla-forward version, replace the simple syrup with 0.5 oz vanilla syrup. For more intense coffee flavor use cold brew concentrate instead of espresso (same quantity). Add 2 dashes of chocolate bitters for a subtle cocoa note.