Pisco Espresso Martini Recipe

Make honey simple syrup

Combine 0.5 oz honey and 0.5 cups cold water in a small saucepan. Warm gently over low heat, stirring until honey fully dissolves (do not boil). Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled. (If short on time, dissolve honey in equal weight warm water and cool briefly; measure 0.5 oz for the cocktail.)

Brew espresso

Brew one shot (about 1 oz) of espresso using an espresso machine, Moka pot, or very strong coffee. Allow it to cool slightly but still be warm (10–20 seconds) — very hot espresso can melt too much ice and dilute the cocktail; completely cold espresso is fine too but may reduce crema.

Chill glass

Place a martini or coupe glass in the freezer for 5–10 minutes, or fill with ice water while preparing the cocktail to ensure the final drink stays silky and cold.

Shake vigorously (dry then wet)

Add the Pisco (2 oz), cooled espresso (1 oz), coffee liqueur (1 oz), and honey simple syrup (0.5 oz) to a cocktail shaker. First perform a 'dry shake' (no ice) for 10 seconds to help develop foam. Then add 1 cup of ice and shake vigorously for 15–20 seconds until the shaker feels very cold (this further emulsifies and chills, producing a silky foam).

Double strain and serve

Discard ice/water from the chilled glass if used. Using the shaker's strainer and a fine mesh strainer, double-strain the cocktail into the chilled glass to capture small ice chips and achieve a smooth texture. This yields a dense, tawny crema on top.

Garnish

Carefully place 3 coffee beans on the crema as a classic garnish. Optionally, zest a twist of orange over the surface to release oils and wipe the rim with the peel before discarding or dropping it into the drink.

If you prepared honey simple syrup in advance, store it refrigerated up to 2 weeks. Warm slightly before use if it becomes thick. Use 0.5 oz per cocktail.

If substituting regular vodka or another neutral spirit, keep proportions the same; note the floral notes are unique to Pisco.