Luigi's Espresso Martini Recipe

Chill glass

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

Prepare espresso

If you don't have a very cold cold-brew concentrate, pull a very small (1/4 oz) shot of hot espresso and let it cool briefly; this adds fresh coffee oils and aroma. Use cold brew for the main coffee component.

Combine ingredients

In a cocktail shaker, add 6 ice cubes, 2 oz vodka, 1 oz Kahlúa, 1.5 oz Silky Mr. Espresso cold brew, 0.25 oz simple syrup, and 0.25 oz cooled espresso. If using, add 0.5 oz heavy cream or aquafaba and 1 dash vanilla bitters.

Dry shake (if using cream or aquafaba)

If you added cream or aquafaba for extra foam, seal the shaker and shake vigorously without ice for 8–10 seconds to build a foamy emulsion.

Wet shake

Add ice (if you dry-shook) or proceed if already iced, then shake vigorously for 12–18 seconds until the shaker is very cold and you feel a good resistance. This chills and slightly dilutes the drink and creates a silky texture.

Double strain & pour

Remove the chilled glass from the freezer or discard the ice water. Using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer, double-strain the cocktail into the chilled martini or coupe glass to ensure a smooth texture without ice shards.

Garnish

Float three coffee beans on the frothy surface, arranged in a line or triangle. If you made a sweeter version, you can grate a tiny bit of dark chocolate over the top, but do so sparingly.

Serve

Serve immediately while the foam is fresh and aromatic. Recommend serving one cocktail per order.