Restaurants›Ruffino's | Italian Restaurant›Espresso Martini Recipe

Espresso Martini Recipe

Name: Ruffino's | Italian Restaurants ESPRESSO MARTINI Recipe
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 1 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 oz Three Olives Vanilla Vodka; 1 oz Decaf espresso (freshly brewed, cooled slightly); 0.75 oz Coffee liqueur (e.g., Kahlúa); 0.25 oz Amaro (mild, e.g., Averna or Montenegro); 0.5 oz Brown sugar syrup (see prep); 1 cup Ice (for shaking); 3 each Coffee beans (for garnish); 0.5 cup Dark brown sugar; 0.5 cup Water

Inspired by Ruffino's | Italian Restaurant

Time15m

Serves1

Three Olives Vanilla Vodka, Decaf Espresso, Brown Sugar Syrup, Amaro, Coffee Liqueur

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Ingredients

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Cocktail

2 oz Three Olives Vanilla Vodka1 oz Decaf espresso (freshly brewed, cooled slightly)3/4 oz Coffee liqueur (e.g., Kahlúa)1/4 oz Amaro (mild, e.g., Averna or Montenegro)1/2 oz Brown sugar syrup (see prep)1 cup Ice (for shaking)3 each Coffee beans (for garnish)

Brown Sugar Syrup (make ahead)

1/2 cup Dark brown sugar1/2 cup Water

Method

Brown Sugar Syrup (make ahead)

Combine

Combine 0.5 cup dark brown sugar and 0.5 cup water in a small saucepan.

Dissolve

Heat over medium-low, stirring constantly until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture just comes to a gentle simmer, about 2–3 minutes. Do not boil vigorously.

Cool and store

Remove from heat and let cool. Transfer to a clean jar. Refrigerate; syrup will keep 2–3 weeks. Measure 0.5 oz for the cocktail.

Cocktail

Brew espresso

Brew 1 oz decaf espresso. Ideally use a moka pot, espresso machine, or strong French press. Let the espresso cool slightly (1–2 minutes) — it should be warm but not steaming so it doesn’t over-dilute the drink when shaken.

Prepare shaker

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with fresh ice (about 1 cup).

Add ingredients

Pour 2 oz Three Olives Vanilla Vodka, 1 oz decaf espresso, 0.75 oz coffee liqueur, 0.25 oz amaro, and 0.5 oz brown sugar syrup into the shaker over the ice.

Dry shake

Optional but recommended: before adding ice, do a 10–12 second dry shake (shake ingredients without ice) if you want a richer, frothier crema. If you do the dry shake, remove ice, add ice, then proceed to the next step.

Shake

Seal the shaker and shake vigorously for 12–18 seconds until the shaker is very cold to the touch and a thick foam forms from the espresso.

Double strain & serve

Double-strain the cocktail through a mesh strainer into a chilled coupe or martini glass to remove ice shards and achieve a silky texture.

Garnish

Float three coffee beans on the foam as a classic garnish.

Serve

Serve immediately. The drink yields a balance of vanilla-forward vodka, coffee, and a lightly bitter herbal note from the amaro with caramelized sweetness from the brown sugar syrup.