What Is In An Espresso Martini
The perfect espresso martini contains four simple ingredients.
- Vodka Choose your favorite brand vodka. Make sure its something you enjoy the taste of because the vodka isnt diluted with ice and mixers. For best results choose a higher grade vodka, such as Grey Goose.
- Espresso Freshly brewed espresso tastes best. Scroll down to learn how to make espresso easily and cheaply at home without an espresso machine.
- Kahlua A coffee flavored liqueur from Mexico. You can also make Kahlua at home with rum, sugar, coffee, and vanilla.
- Creme de Cacao chocolate flavored liqueur
Tips For The Perfect Peppermint Espresso Martini
- Make sure to cool the coffee completely after brewing it or it will melt the ice and you wont have a nice chilled cocktail.To cool your coffee quickly you can put it in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes.
- Make sure to shake the cocktail pretty vigorously so you create that lovely foam on top.
- When pouring the cocktail into your glass do it swiftly to ensure the foam all ends up on top
- If you dont have prepared/storebought simple syrup you can make it by bringing equal amounts of sugar and water to boil until the sugar has dissolved then cool to room temperature before adding to cocktail.
Espresso Martini With Baileys
Enjoy a creamy espresso martini cocktail by using Baileys Irish Cream with the vodka and espresso. Replace the creme de cacao and coffee liqueur with 2 ounces of Baileys.
If you are looking to reduce the amount of alcohol in the martini, using Baileys will help. Decrease the amount of vodka and increase the amount of Baileys Irish Cream to taste.
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Variations And Similar Drinks
Espresso Martini: Creme de Cacao is optional in this recipe. The drink is also called Espresso martini and the same name is sometimes used to refer to both cocktails.Espresso Grand Martini: Subtitute Creme de Cacao with Grand Marnier. This gives the drink an orange flavor that goes well with coffee.
Another variation of the kahlua expresso martini substitutes Creme de Cacao with Baileys Irish Cream.
How To Make Simple Syrup
Making Simple Syrup sounds challenging but in fact it is quite easy. We prefer to use equal parts brown sugar and water. Start with a 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 cup of water, bring to slow boil. If you want a thicker syrup continue to cook down until the majority of the water has been boiled out.
Many classic cocktails use simple syrup so this is a good recipe to remember and practice making. Simple syrup can make any drink delicious.
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What Are The Ingredients In Kahlua
- First, you pour the water into a big saucepan, and then you spread the sugar out in an equal layer across the bottom of the pan.
- Put the heat on a setting between low and medium.
How To Make Your Own Kahlua Recipe
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What About Espresso Martinis With Nespresso Or Keurig Machines
While a traditional espresso machines make the best espresso…often times, unless your Italian, you don’t have a traditional espresso machine in your house. We at A Few Cocktails often use a Nespresso Pod when we’re looking to make a quick cocktail without the hassle of brewing a fresh batch of espresso.
What Is A Kahlua Espresso Martini
A Kahlua Espresso Martini is the perfect sweet mixed drink to serve chocolate and coffee lovers.
Kahlúa is a brand of coffee liqueur produced in Veracruz, Mexico. The drink contains rum, sugar, and quality arabica coffee.
Espresso is a coffee-brewing method of Italian origin, in which a small amount of nearly boiling water is forced under 910 bars of pressure through finely-ground coffee beans. Popular espresso beverages include the latte, americano, cappuccino, flat white, macchiato and cortado. For those who like making quality coffee at home, Nespresso machines offer a modern option.
The classic is a cocktail made with gin or vodka and vermouth, and garnished with an olive or a lemon twist. In the early 2000s martini culture boomed thanks to the popularity of Sex and the City and the explosion of flavoured vodka products by the likes of Absolut and Smirnoff.
A Kahlua Espresso Martini combines these 3 ingredients into a cocktail shaker to create a decadent dessert drink.
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How To Make Espresso Martini With Kahlua
One sip and youll agree that this espresso martini is the best. Plus, you can make it at home with just three ingredients.
To start, you will need to brew your espresso. If you dont have espresso, use one of the options listed above such as instant espresso or strong black coffee.
Then, add in equal parts of espresso, Kahlua, and vodka. Place the top back on the cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for at least 20 seconds.
To make this a truly special drink, you really need to shake the ingredients together. That is what is going to get you that gorgeous white foamy top.
Remove the top lid off of the cocktail shaker and strain the drink into your martini glass. Of course a martini glass isnt necessary here, but it somehow just makes the drink so much more delicious!
Finish off the cocktail with a few espresso or coffee beans placed on top. This is optional but makes for a pretty presentation.
Kahlua Espresso Martini Cocktail Ingredients
Our creamy Kahlua Chocolate Martini cocktail recipe is made with fresh and premium ingredients.
- Vodka: we suggest using Grey Goose, Absolut or Smirnoff Vodka.
- Kahlua: the Mexican coffee liqueur is prepared with arabica coffee beans, rum and sweetened with sugar.
- Creme de Cacao: is a chocolate-flavored liqueur. Its considered one of the first alcoholic beverages, made in the 1600s by monks after cocoa beans were brought back to Europe from America.
- Espresso: we suggest using a Nespresso machine to pull two shots of espresso.
- Whole Milk: we suggest using whole milk as it adds richness to the creamy drink. You can also use half and half cream for a more decadent Kahlua Martini or 1% milk for a skinny low fat option.
- Chocolate Shavings: use a microplane or fine grater to garnish the drink with quality dark chocolate.
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Why You Will Like This Espresso Martini Recipe:
Flavor: The intense, warm flavor that you get from the combination of the espresso, with hazelnut liqueur, coffee liquer and vodka is incredible.
Cost: The cost to make these at home, versus spending upwards of $15 for an espresso martini at a club or restaurant is so much lower!
Wow Factor: Everyone is always so impressed by espresso martinis! Floating the the coffee beans on the froth is such a finish! You will be the ultimate bartender at home!
- 1ounce Frangelica hazelnut liqueur
- 1ounce Kahlua Coffee liqueur
- 1ounce half and half or cream
- 1 tablespoon cocoa
History Of The Espresso Martini Drink
Before we get into how to make the Espresso Martini drink, lets take a look at the history of the cocktail.
So how did he come up with a concoction that would do just that?
Well, since Red Bull hadnt been invented yet, the most likely ingredient guaranteed to wake a person up was
you guessed it
And the Soho Brassiere had an Espresso Machine right there at the bar.
With a little cocktail chemistry, he came up with an idea for the perfect drink.
Or in Bradsells own words: “The coffee machine at the Soho Brasseries was right next to the station where I served drinks. It was a nightmare, as there were coffee grounds everywhere, so coffee was very much on my mind. And it was all about vodka back then it was all people were drinking.”
Heres a video f Bradsell talking about creating the Espresso Martini drink. As a bonus, he also walks through how to make a good Espresso Martini at home.
However, the drink wasnt originally called the Espresso Martini
it was actually called Vodka Espresso.
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What You Will Need To Make This Peppermint Espresso Martini:
- Prepared Martini glass or coupe glass
- You need a cocktail shaker not a mixing glass, because unlike other martinis this drink is almost always served shaken to get that frothy foamy top layer similar to a latte. If you dont have a shaker, make it in anything with a secure lid even a mason jar will work.
Making Espresso Martinis With Coffee Liqueur
Another option is to use a coffee liqueur as a larger base for the Espresso Martini. Traditionally our recipe calls for 1 ounce of espresso and 1/2 Ounce of Kahlua coffee liqueur. In this circumstance we would use one ounce coffee liqueur of your choice. We recommend Blue Mountain Caribbean Coffee liqueur. This liqueur is less sweet than others, definitely less sweet than Kahlua. Feel free to substitute with any coffee liqueur that you enjoy.
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Kahla Now Makes An Espresso Martini In A Can
Attention, coffee lovers! This might be your new favorite drink.
If your go-to drink order is an espresso martini, youre going to love what Kahlúa has in store. According to Delish, the brands launching an Espresso Style Martini this spring. The drink is made using vodka, Kahlúa coffee liqueur and roasted Arabica coffee, according to the product description on the Kahlúa website. And the best part of all? It comes in a can! So serving it is as easy as popping the tab and pouring it straight into a martini glass.
The beverage also yields a nitro foam once its poured, so you get a bar-quality experience every time.
This video from the Kahlúa YouTube channel shows off just how satisfying serving this cocktail will be:
The cans will come in a pack of four, and each can serves two drinks. Youll likely be able to purchase this wherever Kahlúa beverages are sold. You can visit the Kahlúa website to find a retailer near you.
In case youre craving an espresso martini now and cant wait until spring to sip on this boozy coffee beverage, you can also try making the drink from scratch. Its not as convenient as pouring it straight from the can, but the tastiness will be well worth your efforts.
And if youre going to go to the trouble of making this drink from scratch, you might as well make it extra special by adding delicious flavors. This recipe for a chocolate espresso martini from Kitchen Swagger, for instance, looks deliciously sweet.
Why Isn’t My Espresso Martini Frothy
The key to a frothy espresso martini usually falls into two categories. How much you shake the martini in the shaker and how much dairy is in the cocktail. A frothier espresso martini usually uses a high-cream coffee liqueur like Kahlua.
Often bartenders or home mixologists like ourselves don’t shake vigorously enough so the martini is left looking listless with no head. The foam is important in regards to aesthetics but in reality the flavor comes from the ingredients and less from the shaking. But if you want an ice cold or chilled cocktail, then it is crucial to shake.
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How To Make An Espresso Martini Without Espresso
The perfect after dinner cocktail, the espresso martini…but what if you don’t like espresso? Or you don’t have an espresso machine? All is not lost! In fact, as counter-intuitive as it may seem, there are many ways to make an espresso martini without the espresso…maybe we should change the name?
Is Baileys Irish Cream A Coffee Liqueur
The majority of coffee liqueurs are often quite sugary and syrupy. Kahlua and Tia Maria are the two most popular choices that are made in large quantities. Although other distilleries offer coffee-flavored variants of their flagship spirits , these two beverages are considered to be authentic coffee liqueurs.
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Whats In An Espresso Martini
An Espresso Martini is made up of just three ingredients, and an equal ratio of each.
- Espresso. If you dont have espresso, substitute a strongly brewed coffee or cold brew coffee concentrate. These strongly brewed espresso alternatives will help keep the flavor as well as the temperature of the drink ideal.
- Coffee-flavored Liqueur. The most common coffee liqueur is Kahlua. With its delightful and sweet coffee flavor, it also stars in the Mudslide. See more on Kahlua below.
- Vodka. Even though there are other strong flavors in this cocktail, use a vodka that you enjoy the flavor of. See more below on which vodka is best.
Why Do Bartender’s Hate Making Espresso Martinis
Often when ordering an espresso martini the bartenders will grumble or even make a comment if they’re not in a good mood. First…it’s their job so they should do it with a smile on their face…however, it is a lot of work if they are not prepared in advance. A truly great espresso martini should use homemade simple syrup, which can be a process.
They also generally have to make the espresso from scratch…unless they use our Espresso less Martini recipe. Also the amount of shaking the bartender has to do, takes away their time from serving other costumers.
In truth the drink is not that much work but it is in comparison to a whiskey and coke or vodka and soda.
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How To Make An Espresso Martini
Give the best espresso martini a try with this easy recipe! Learn how to make an espresso martini anyway you like it chocolate, creamy with Baileys, or even without an espresso maker!
During college I spent my summers waiting tables on Nantucket Island. The goal was to maximize my summer earning potential in a fabulous location.
I definitely nailed the beautiful location, but my tip money quickly vanished into the islands many pricey bars and restaurants. My willpower didnt stand a chance around all that good food and drinks.
One restaurant particularly sucked me in with their legendary espresso martinis. Since Nantucket doesnt cater to poor college students, expensive martinis did some damage quickly.
Twenty years later, a perfect espresso martini remains my all time favorite coffee vodka drink. However, with four kids now, the rate of consumption has definitely changed.
My husband and I now consume them frugally at home because fancy restaurants dont seem to cater to tired, broke parents either
Can You Use Coffee In Espresso Martini
Coffee be sure to choose robust espresso coffee, and if possible, brew it in a machine that produces a lot of froth while its brewing. If you want to make this cocktail successfully, you should steer clear of using instant coffee. Without real espresso, the drink wont have the distinctive flavor of a genuine Espresso Martini.
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What If I Dont Have A Coffee Machine
Thats okay, regular coffee also works. You can use a home coffee pod machine, or you can find other ways of making the espresso, including mixing it up yourself.
If youre using regular coffee, instead of espresso, youll need to use less water, as the intensity will differ. Also, if youre using filtered coffee, just know that the froth / foam wont be as thick and creamy.
Can I Make An Espresso Martini Without Espresso
Perhaps you dont own an espresso maker? Learn how to make an espresso martini without an espresso coffee machine!
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How To Make Peppermint Espresso Martinis